Review: UNFORTUNATE - THE UNTOLD STORY OF URSULA THE SEA WITCH, Southwark Playhouse Elephant
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
Step aside The Little Mermaid, Ursula the Sea Witch is here! It’s time for everyone’s favourite Disney diva to tell her story and there’s absolutely nothing ‘unfortunate’ about that.
Fresh from sell out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and around the UK, this smash hit parody musical is currently thrilling audiences at Southwark Playhouse Elephant before it sets off on a UK tour. Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch takes us under the sea to discover what really happened all those years ago. We discover a tale of lovers kept apart by betrayal and mistaken identity, and the disastrous and hilarious consequences this caused twenty years on.
Written by Daniel Foxx and Robyn Grant, who also directs, Unfortunate toes the line of correctness. This show is audacious, adult and full of modern and brilliantly British cultural references. We’ve never seen a musical which features picky bits, pumpkin spiced lattes and Ugg boots. However, the script also includes timely political allusions; Greta Thunberg gets a mention and there is a casual exploration of consumerism and the issue of plastic in our oceans.
Unfortunate is fill to the brim with clever and catchy songs written by Tim Gilvin. The fabulous pop soundtrack has clearly built on Alan Menken’s original score and Howard Ashman’s classic lyrics but the music is just the right side of copyright. ‘Kiss the Girl’ is now a humorous song about consent ‘Ask the Girl’ and on a smuttier note, Ariel no longer wants to be where the people are and instead it is “dicks” she’s after.
All the songs are performed with unmatched joy and energy by the incredibly talented cast, paired with fabulous choreography by Melody Sinclair. Besties, we have nothing but good things to say about this sensational cast and we want to join in as it looks like so much fun. However, they must be exhausted as all roles except Ursula are multi-cast; Allie Dart certainly deserves a special mention.
In this story, Ursula is plus size and proud and it is wonderful to see such a range of bodies on stage, of course led by Shawna Hamic as the title diva. She struts across the stage in her terrifically tentacled costume and is a vision of empowerment with outstanding vocals. Her performance of ‘Unfortunate’ at the end of Act One is a stand out moment. Thomas Lowe is hilarious as single daddy Triton trying to protect his daughter from the big bad world. Ariel takes a back seat in this story but River Medway’s fabulously camp performance, complete with an Essex accent, is one not to miss. Jamie Mawson is sensationally silly as the loveable idiot Prince Eric and Julian Capolei’s dance moves are unstoppable as Vanessa.
The set, costumes and puppets are all designed by Abby Clarke who has done an incredible job bringing this colourful world under the waves to life. The Southwark Playhouse is a relatively small venue but the space has been used brilliantly. The set is on two levels and has been designed to look like the helm of a ship. Unfortunate is visually spectacular and there are people swinging from ropes and on wires, sometimes you don’t know where to look. There is also ingenious puppetry with a cast of gorgeous Disney and underwater creatures which particularly get a chance to shine during ‘We Didn’t Make It to Disney’.
Unfortunate is one of the funniest musicals we’ve ever seen. It is is outrageous, unapologetic and absolutely hilarious.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Sophie Luck
Unfortunate plays at Southwark Playhouse Elephant until 17 February 2024, with further information here.