The Little Mermaid was never going to be the easiest text to adapt to the stage, especially in light of the Broadway production’s recent failure to delight audiences under the sea. Floating beasts, numerous scene changes and the odd whirlpool make it any director’s nightmare but Jackinabox Productions don’t seem to appreciate this.For them the solution to problem after problem would be physical theatre. Clearly this is not an impossible feat but it is something to be attempted by the experienced. Unfortunately the gentle wafting of arms is not passable. There is the odd lift between lovers and; the whirlpool, unsurprisingly, involves hunched circular movements. In the moments of synchronised movement the choreography moves towards something pleasing but even then the ensemble and space are not big enough to reach the scale of the play’s requirements.For such a young cast the focus was impressive as shared lines were delivered with precision and uniform intonation. Even when a seemingly drunk sea witch was accused of being funny-looking by an indiscreet toddler, all onstage remained entirely straight faced. The problem with the production is that despite tackling such an ambitious concept, the play took few risks. Young girls may smile at the coatings of glitter, pink fabric and hair extensions but the general feeling is one of indifference. Neither is it impressively good nor offensively bad.
