REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
UNFORTUNATE
Palace Theatre, Southend
Tue 28 May - 1st June 2024
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
UNFORTUNATE
Palace Theatre, Southend
Tue 28 May - 1st June 2024
Unfortunate, the Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch, was conceived from the brilliant minds of Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx with Tim Gilvin joining the pair to provide music and lyrics. It was borne from a boozy evening of chat where the authors were discussing one of their favourite topics - fabulous evil witches - and Ursula, it was agreed, got a pretty bad rap from her appearance in Disney’s The Little Mermaid. They felt that Ursula probably had a back story that justified her wicked behaviour and so they set about redeeming the “baddest bitch in the ocean”, giving the tentacled sea witch her own gig; thus revealing an unapologetically fat, loud and most importantly, hot, role model alongside a completely alternative narrative for audiences of all persuasions to enjoy.
This is a gloriously energetic and camp production which, from the very opening, provides no doubt as to where the humour lies and makes it blatantly clear why it holds a minimum 16+ age restriction. When one of the first laughs comes from a semen joke you know this is definitely not one for the kiddos!
Shawna Hamic totally owns the role of Ursula Squirt, looking fabulous in her sea-witch finery and full of sass despite her grim job in the family business as a toilet cleaner using her tentacles to suck clean the grubby loos as we flash back in time to find out just why Ursula became so witchy.
The Sucking on You number highlights Triton’s (Thomas Lowe) fall for Ursula but his father cannot allow a union with a working class creature and hatches a plan to usurp Triton’s potential proposal. And then, as the plot thickens, we find out the real reason why Ursula took away Ariel's voice.
The authors are clearly huge fans of The Little Mermaid animation as there are plenty of fantastically witty knowing nods to the film throughout.
This show is delightfully whacky and the cast look like they’re having a total blast. The songs often build towards the Disney expectation but then divert into the crazy world of pure parody. It’s creatively clever and stupendously silly all at the same time.
Initially, I confess, I was a tiny bit worried that the tone of the show was going to be perhaps a little too rude and smutty, however, once you know where you’re at and buckled in, it’s actually a brilliant submergence into the depths of this ocean of transgression and naughtiness. There are lots of laughs to be had watching this talented cast perform, sing and dance as well as puppeteer. The We Didn’t Make it to Disney number is one such case and when we finally meet Ariel, played by River Medway, there are tears of laughter from the audience as her portrayal of the red haired mermaid is more sex mad air-head than Disney princess in her Where the Dicks Are number and the part where she sings to Eric as she tries to wake him after he nearly drowns is comedy gold.
I just loved Thomas Lowe as Triton who is a mixture of Kevin (Kevin and Perry) and Tim Nice But Dim (Harry Enfield) as he struts, or should I say swims, cockily around the ocean showing off his 80s mullet and shell codpiece; and what a great voice he has too. Likewise, Jamie Mawson is equally hilarious playing the nit-witted Prince Eric and also the crazy weirdy-beardy and a little bit pervy (ok, a lot pervy), Poseidon. The energy from both of these actors’ performances is quite literally off the scale (sorry, had to get a fishy pun in there somewhere).
Allie Dart is outstanding for the many roles she encompasses throughout the evening and Les Poissons is a great number for her to show off her skills, as does Julian Capolei as Grimsby with his many characters, including the brilliant Vanessa and the Hot Girl Summer number.
This is a brilliantly re-written tale giving the opportunity for all of those forgotten gay, camp and queer sea creatures who were never destined to make an appearance in the Disney animation, a chance to shine and be seen and heard through Gilvin’s cleverly pastiched music and lyrics. Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or as dimensionally straight as Kirsty the Sea Cucumber, you cannot fail but find Unfortunate an absolute hoot and this cast are absolutely smashing it.
Review: Kim Tobin
The show continues all this week at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
Tickets on sale from https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/musical/unfortunate-the-untold-story-of-ursula-the-sea-witch-tickets
This is a gloriously energetic and camp production which, from the very opening, provides no doubt as to where the humour lies and makes it blatantly clear why it holds a minimum 16+ age restriction. When one of the first laughs comes from a semen joke you know this is definitely not one for the kiddos!
Shawna Hamic totally owns the role of Ursula Squirt, looking fabulous in her sea-witch finery and full of sass despite her grim job in the family business as a toilet cleaner using her tentacles to suck clean the grubby loos as we flash back in time to find out just why Ursula became so witchy.
The Sucking on You number highlights Triton’s (Thomas Lowe) fall for Ursula but his father cannot allow a union with a working class creature and hatches a plan to usurp Triton’s potential proposal. And then, as the plot thickens, we find out the real reason why Ursula took away Ariel's voice.
The authors are clearly huge fans of The Little Mermaid animation as there are plenty of fantastically witty knowing nods to the film throughout.
This show is delightfully whacky and the cast look like they’re having a total blast. The songs often build towards the Disney expectation but then divert into the crazy world of pure parody. It’s creatively clever and stupendously silly all at the same time.
Initially, I confess, I was a tiny bit worried that the tone of the show was going to be perhaps a little too rude and smutty, however, once you know where you’re at and buckled in, it’s actually a brilliant submergence into the depths of this ocean of transgression and naughtiness. There are lots of laughs to be had watching this talented cast perform, sing and dance as well as puppeteer. The We Didn’t Make it to Disney number is one such case and when we finally meet Ariel, played by River Medway, there are tears of laughter from the audience as her portrayal of the red haired mermaid is more sex mad air-head than Disney princess in her Where the Dicks Are number and the part where she sings to Eric as she tries to wake him after he nearly drowns is comedy gold.
I just loved Thomas Lowe as Triton who is a mixture of Kevin (Kevin and Perry) and Tim Nice But Dim (Harry Enfield) as he struts, or should I say swims, cockily around the ocean showing off his 80s mullet and shell codpiece; and what a great voice he has too. Likewise, Jamie Mawson is equally hilarious playing the nit-witted Prince Eric and also the crazy weirdy-beardy and a little bit pervy (ok, a lot pervy), Poseidon. The energy from both of these actors’ performances is quite literally off the scale (sorry, had to get a fishy pun in there somewhere).
Allie Dart is outstanding for the many roles she encompasses throughout the evening and Les Poissons is a great number for her to show off her skills, as does Julian Capolei as Grimsby with his many characters, including the brilliant Vanessa and the Hot Girl Summer number.
This is a brilliantly re-written tale giving the opportunity for all of those forgotten gay, camp and queer sea creatures who were never destined to make an appearance in the Disney animation, a chance to shine and be seen and heard through Gilvin’s cleverly pastiched music and lyrics. Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or as dimensionally straight as Kirsty the Sea Cucumber, you cannot fail but find Unfortunate an absolute hoot and this cast are absolutely smashing it.
Review: Kim Tobin
The show continues all this week at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
Tickets on sale from https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/musical/unfortunate-the-untold-story-of-ursula-the-sea-witch-tickets
Direct from a smash hit London season comes the outrageous and wickedly camp parody musical Unfortunate, starring Shawna Hamic (Orange is the New Black, 1776 on Broadway) as ‘Ursula’ and River Medway (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) as ‘Ariel’.
Join everyone’s favourite Disney Diva, Ursula, as she gives her take on what really happened all those years ago under the sea. With an original hot pop soundtrack and trademark filthy humour, it’s time to take the plunge and dive into this year’s hottest night out.
Cruella told her side, and Maleficent’s had her moment. Now the legendary queer queen is ready to spill, in this tell-all tale of sex, sorcery and suckers.
AGE GUIDANCE: 16+
Contains strong language, partial nudity, scenes of a sexual nature and flashing lights.
Join everyone’s favourite Disney Diva, Ursula, as she gives her take on what really happened all those years ago under the sea. With an original hot pop soundtrack and trademark filthy humour, it’s time to take the plunge and dive into this year’s hottest night out.
Cruella told her side, and Maleficent’s had her moment. Now the legendary queer queen is ready to spill, in this tell-all tale of sex, sorcery and suckers.
AGE GUIDANCE: 16+
Contains strong language, partial nudity, scenes of a sexual nature and flashing lights.