★★★★★

Reviewer - Bronagh

*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review.

Content Warning: Contains homophobic slurs, swearing and descriptions of sex.

Merboy was everything that I expected, and more. Described as ‘A poetic, queer retelling of The Little Mermaid’, it did not disappoint and didn’t end there. The audience of the Omnibus Theatre was transported out to sea, which is impressive for a 110-seat theatre in Clapham!

Kemi Clarke plays Merboy, a young, mixed heritage boy struggling with his sexuality and all of the complexities that come with it. The only word that I can use to describe his performance is captivating. His presence, his movement, and his storytelling – are truly outstanding. Clarke clearly immerses himself in becoming Merboy, a character which will be relatable to many people out there.

Ralph Bogard, Yasmin Dawes and Anthony Psaila star as the memorable Sirens. But their talents don’t end there; they also play the Seawitch, Mother and Sailor. All three swap seamlessly between the roles. The changes, generally swapping outfits and adding accessories, take place in darker spots of the stage, so this is never distracting and nor does it take anything away from the show.

Merboy is a fun show despite its very serious message, with the use of verse and lip-synching. The verse flows so wonderfully and powerfully. The use of racist and homophobic slurs against a poetic backdrop is the shock that we need to understand what Merboy, and many other people out there, are going through.

READ MORE: Interview with Kemi Clarke on Beyond The Curtain website.

Throughout the show The Sirens, with their bouffant wigs, sparkly dresses and makeup, lip sync to 1960s style pop music. The choice of music fit in perfectly with whatever moment of Merboy’s life we are at, from his first sexual awakening where he dreams of marrying his schoolteacher to him becoming acquainted with ‘Sailors’. The bursts of song amongst the serious nature of the issues act as welcome comedic relief, and the dance moves in particular had the audience laughing.

This isn’t to say that Merboy only explored the discrimination that a young, queer person may experience. There were elements of acceptance explored too, which are equally as important. Merboy wants to be his true self and these elements act as a reminder to anybody that may be struggling, acceptance is out there.

Merboy deserves all of the love, and more, for doing such a wonderful job of telling a minority story. Combining a fairytale world with the stark reality of gay shame - the homophobic slurs, The Sun telling you that gay men will die - works perfectly in this instance and absolutely deserves to be seen.

Merboy performs at Omnibus Theatre until 4 March. All ticket information is available here.