The Little Mermaid - A Tale of Unrequited Love

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s original 1837 fairy tale, Northern Ballet’s The Little Mermaid is choreographed by David Nixon, the company’s previous artistic director.

When a young mermaid (Marilla), the youngest of three mermaid sisters is allowed her first glimpse of a life beyond the sea, she is mesmerized by what she sees and, becoming captivated by a picture of an earthly Prince seen in a locket, dreams of a life above the waves.

Concerned for Marilla, Lyr (the Lord of the Sea) danced by Sean Bates creates a powerful storm to destroy the Prince’s ship but Marilla rescues the Prince and in order to be with him, begs Lyr to help her join the human community.

Lyr finally relents and reluctantly provides her with a potion that will allow her to walk on land – but the price she must pay is to endure enormous physical pain whilst losing her mermaid’s tail and her beautiful voice.

Sadly, the loss of her voice means Prince Adair does not recognise Marilla as his saviour and he mistakenly believes that it was Princess Dana (leading soloist Sarah Chun) who rescued him from the stormy sea.

What follows is a lesson in unrequited love as Marilla decides to sacrifice her own happiness to ensure that Prince Adair lives happily ever after with Princess Dana.

The choreography is absolutely captivating from beginning to end. The dancers themselves become the waves with gentle rippling simulating the gentle rise and fall of the sea. Their graceful and constantly moving bodies along with their effortlessly fluid transitions reflect the endless ebb and flow of sea.

. It is only when the aquatic mood has been established that the trio of mermaids enter, buoyantly held aloft by the ‘male waves’. As the mermaids are lifted overhead by the male dancers, we really do see how these fascinating mythical sea creatures flip and dive amidst the waves.

When Marilla undergoes her metamorphosis, from mermaid to a two-legged being, the audience cannot help but feel her pain.

Abigail Prudames communicates Marilla’s agony with every ounce of her being as she laments the loss of her voice and warily experiments with her new legs in a writhing, floor-based solo.

On dry land, Marilla really is a fish out of water. She is a curiosity in the human world, unable to communicate and suffers greatly with every faltering step she takes.

Despite the limitations that a mermaid tail might be expected to bring to ballet, the clever costume design and expert choreography ensures that Marilla and her sisters both appear and move as I imagine mermaids would. Their iridescent coloured tails attached to an outer seam of sequinned trousers fan out to appear whole but remain sufficiently mobile to afford the dancers some freedom of movement.

By contrast, the human world channels the solidity and safety of land. The brave sailors are clothed in earthy-toned tunics, the dancing girls in pretty sundresses and the flamboyant ladies in a vivid red. The music is livelier and a trumpet heralds Prince Adair’s entrances.

All of the dancers are truly excellent, their grace, strength and artistry are phenomenal.

The composer of the music, Sally Beamish, has created a wonderful score which is played by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia. The mood and tempo of the music changes with the drama being played out on either land or underwater.

Kimie Nakano’s set designs are simple but very effective. Two curved walls are moved around to transport us from the seabed, to Prince Adair’s ship, to the cliffs on the shore.

Tim Mitchell’s lighting ensures the stage goes from being ‘under water’ to bathed in light; seamlessly incorporating the elements of water, earth and sky that depict the two distinct worlds of the narrative.

Northern Ballet’s The Little Mermaid is a beautiful tale, sensitively told, of the disheartening reality of society’s frequent struggles to understand and communicate with those who are different.

The story also reminds us all of the power of love.

It is visually spectacular, family-friendly and a story full of beautiful music and dancing.

Try to grab a ticket before it sets off to swim around the UK. You’ll enjoy a wonderful evening!