REVIEW | The Little Mermaid, Darlington
★★★★
Reviewer - Stacy
Panto is not just for Christmas, but for all time…..add four drag queens, crank up the innuendos to level filth and you have one cracking show in the name of The Little Mermaid…..an adult panto.
Big Daddy productions, is known for bringing stellar stars and sell-out shows nationwide and this underwater world certainly lives up to its constant reputation.
On one stop in a jam-packed tour….the cast arrives in Darlington, the destination for the night’s show, and the audience are looking primed for the performance. Drinks in hand the show gets underway in the underwater world of Coralantis with a bang. First numbers always set the bar and this hit high on impact to kick start the evening. The cast is in fine voice with a quartet of dancers to bring the energy and funk to a high level. The set is simple, colourful but ever so effective….with neon splashes to capture life under the sea. The costumes are a camp dream to the highest hilt and together they encapsulate the sea world of Coralantis in all its ethereal beauty.
This tour brings an all-star drag cast to the proceedings and what a lineup to be had, it’s like a who’s who of the Drag World. Davina , Detox, Trinity and Sophia bring the Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent in aesthetics, acting and attention to detail. The humour was as high as the high heels, for all the right and wrong reasons…..after all aren’t the best parts of a panto performance the bits that go wrong? Davina De Campo is well versed in stage craft and breathed life into Ariel in true drag fashion…..her singing shone and her slaying struck true….right in the direction of any audience member who attempted their own comedy interlude. The barbs of a drag queen do hit hard! Detox has taken to the British art of panto, like a drag queen to a tuck, and channelled her inner evil sea witch to a splendid degree. The boos rang true and loud with every damning demise she tried to take and she brought her best evil out to play for the night. Trinity K Bonet and Sophia Stardust supplied the witty roles of Shipmate Sashay and Captain Chippy ….. What Sophia lacked in melody she more than made up for in effort, tenfold, which added to the comedy and charm that she brought to the stage. Whilst Trinity K Bonet may not have the strongest panto sea legs, in this nautical romp, give that girl a Beyonce beat and you have a knockout moment that is memorable even after curtain down.
David Potts, star of Ibiza and Kavos Weekender, triumphs as Triton. His camp comedy chops hit high in a witty, yet endearing, performance and the audience were living for every moment…can I get a ‘hiya hun!!!’. Wayne Miller, as Shelly, brought an explosion of energy and comedy with every stage entrance. His ability to control a crowd is a work of art and he had everyone in the palm of his hands and feeling ‘F*cking Crabulous’….these blasts of energy helped to maintain the pace and flow of the show, which is the job of any good panto comic, and one Mr Miller excels at. Wayne also wrote the script to this panto, which was both entertaining, witty and filled to the brim with pitch-perfect innuendos on just the right side of naughty. Last, but definitely not least, we have Wez Bromley, playing our Prince Artemis. His velvet tones brought a beautiful quality to each and every song he sang, in a memorable and strong performance, that has come to be expected from this actor.
Our quartet of dancers, Ellie Jones, Georgia Dawes, Connor Pearson, Nathaniel, and Elechi, were on and off the stage, like yoyos, to provide the dance beats to every number, choreographed by Jack Storm. Due to the small confines of space on stage and the tricky backstage layout of this theatre, they did extremely well to manage every quick change, entrance change and maintain spatial awareness throughout. Their attack on numbers was commendable and added energy and style to the songs.
The Little Mermaid is tucking fabulous! How could it not be with such a sensational cast that will keep you chuckling until the final bow.
Catch this show at a theatre near you. Family friendly performances are available on certain dates.
