Review: The Little Mermaid at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Michael Telfer went along to this year's Theatre Royal panto wondering whether this would be the year his children were too old to jump at the bangs and laugh at the jokes... he needn't have worried
As Danny Adams and Clive Webb approach their 20th Theatre Royal pantomime anniversary in 2025, this year’s offering is diving into the story of The Little Mermaid.
But as anyone who has seen any of their previous Christmas-time outings will already know - the chosen tale doesn’t really matter.
Whether it’s Snow White, Peter Pan, Cinderella or whatever, any strong resemblance to the traditional plot might be even be considered an accidurrrrnt…. it might take away attention from the slapstick-tastic set pieces and unashamed commitment to getting laughs in every corner of the script.
The crowd are all here for the custard pies, the pebbledash of innuendos, the big numbers and most of all the stars of the show; father and son Danny, Clive and relative newcomer Joe McElderry.
The aforementioned familial duo have been the linchpin of what is now the UK’s biggest and fastest selling panto since Wallsend writer and director Michael Harrison first tempted them to the Theatre Royal in 2004.
Next Christmas they’ll be using the story of Aladdin to string together their crowd-delighting brand of panto entertainment and we can assume South Shields’ McElderry will continue to enjoy his own burgeoning double act with Danny.
The former X Factor winner, who has carved himself a stellar career across solo and musical theatre performances, is rapidly becoming a jewel in the crown for the hit production.
His voice remains genuinely striking and should be way too good for a show with this many jokes about flatulence and testicles, but somehow it absolutely works.
He looks increasingly at home in the mayhem and madness and, even though he’s only four years in, I don’t think the panto would be the same without him.
One of the standout scenes in this year’s show involves Danny trying to accompany Joe on a grand piano while he sings some of his favourite opera songs – who knew Nessun Dorma was the perfect soundtrack to slapstick?
And before you ask, yes they do 12 Days of Christmas; yes they do a messy scene with ladders and foam; and yes everything is as frantically brilliant as ever.
The rest of the cast are a mixture of returning favourites Chris Hayward, Mick Potts, Kylie Ann Ford and Christina Berriman Dawson, and new faces such as Maggie Lynne as the titular Ariel and Christian Maynard as Prince Eric.
‘Dame’ Hayward has proved himself equally adept as a force for good or evil over the years, and this year laps up the crowd’s boos as the evil Sea Witch, with Ford and Dawson playing her supporting eels with mischief and menace.
Everyone involved with The Little Mermaid, from the main cast and the ensemble to the orchestra and the behind the scenes production team, can be very proud of another fabulous family show that is very easy to recommend.