Photos: THE LITTLE MERMAID In Rehearsal At Watermill Theatre

The Watermill Theatre has released new rehearsal photos for THE LITTLE MERMAID, its 2025 festive family musical running from 26 November 2025 to 4 January 2026.

Based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen, Elgiva Field and Lara Barbier, the production is written by Lara Barbier with music and lyrics by Amie Parsons. Directed by Elgiva Field, the show will receive its press night on Saturday 29 November at 7pm.

Set in a 19th-century Cornish fishing village, The Little Mermaid follows Merryn, daughter of the Sea King, as she prepares to glimpse the world above the waves for the first time. When she rescues Cadan, a fisherman thrown overboard in a storm, she returns home to find her underwater world in turmoil and must make a life-changing choice to protect those she loves. The production blends folk and sea-shanty-inspired music to create an imagined world beneath the waves for the holiday season.

The cast includes Annabelle Aquino as Merryn, Tom Babbage as Cadan, Zach Burns as Kitto, Lucinda Freeburn as Senara, Sophie Kamal as Granny Bessy and Granny Ocean, Rowan Macpherson as swing, Jamie Ross as Onstage MD, and Christopher Staines as King Taran and Captain Trelawney. The creative team features set and costume design by April Dalton, lighting design by Emma Chapman, sound design by Andrea J. Cox, movement by Petronella Wiehahn, musical supervision and orchestrations by Candida Caldicot, and puppet design by Naomi Oppenheim.

Photo Credit: Jamie Ledwith/Oddshoe Photography