Review: THE LITTLE MERMAID, King's Theatre

The festive season is officially here as the curtain rises on one of Glasgow’s most beloved pantomimes. This year, the King’s Theatre are doing a panto that isn’t performed often- The Little Mermaid.

It’s a little narrative-heavy to start with as we see Prince Eric (Benjamin Lockhart)’s boat capsize, and he is saved from drowning by Ariel (Jasmine Jules Andrews). Characters need to be established and there’s a lot to take in between Ariel’s evil Aunt The Sea Witch, her mother Queen Mary, her Best Friend Johnny Crabstix and the fabulous Dishy Fishy. 

Once we’ve got some of the storytelling out of the way, we get into the fun silly stuff. As seen over the last few years, Elaine C Smith, Johnny Mac and Darren Brownlie work brilliantly together and go down wonderfully with the audience. A fantastic addition to last year’s Peter Pan, the magnificent Hannah Jarrett-Scott returns to the King’s as The Sea Witch. Jarrett-Scott makes for an incredible villain but isn’t given as much opportunity for comedy with the others this year, which is a shame.

The King’s panto does a great job of retaining all the traditional panto magic that the theatre is known for but also bringing in some pretty cool special effects. It’s a spectacle with stunning costumes, tight song and dance numbers and a whole lot of laughs to be had. Johnny Mac is particularly brilliant with the children that are invited to join him on the stage and this part always requires a fair bit of improvisation on his part! 

Coming in with a run time of around 2 hours 10 mins, including a 20 minute interval, this panto doesn’t drop pace for a second. It’s also a real treat to have a lesser-told story for the panto this year. With brilliant effects and a wealth of talent on stage, The Little Mermaid certainly makes a splash!

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