EDINBURGH 2019: Review: UNFORTUNATE, Underbelly

Unfortunate: The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch tells the backstory of the notorious "baddie" from The Little Mermaid.

Unfortunate is incredibly sharp and notes that if a man had behaved the way Ursula did- he'd be given an OBE. It's a strong script that addresses expectations for women and climate change/plastic waste. Ursula is portrayed as a liberal, outspoken woman who is cast out for being different.

It's impossible not to draw parallels between Unfortunate and another well known musical that tells the origin story of another "evil" witch with an unusual skin tone. There's a similar format as the show opens with Ursula's death, goes back to her youth to find out why she is so misunderstood and makes you question the ending of a well known story.

The songs are good fun though you might not be humming them on the way home. One of my favourites was "Ask The Girl"- a song with an important message about consent that emphasises that it only takes two seconds to check that Ariel does want Eric to kiss her. The cast all have superb vocals (though it seems not everyone was mic'd up) and it has all the makings of a potential transfer.

Aside from a few swear words I was thinking during the show that it might not be entirely unsuitable for a younger audience. Then we get to Ariel's big solo. Oh boy. I hope people adhere to that 14+ rating! It's absolutely hilarious and might just ruin the innocence of The Little Mermaid for you forever.

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch is a daring new musical parody from Fat Rascal Theatre that will appeal to Disney fans and anyone with a sense of humour.

https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/unfortunate-the-untold-story-of-ursula-the-sea-witch

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