Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Review

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Fri 12 Jul 2024 - Sun 14 Jul 2024

First created as a Fringe production five years ago, Unfortunate takes the story of Ursula the sea witch firmly out of the Disney film The Little Mermaid, shakes it up and drops it back down with a very new narrative.

The show is both a parody of Disney, taking all its tropes and turning them on their heads, and also a reflection on the role of women as passive receivers of action – there simply to look pretty and sing a bit.



Created by Robyn Grant, who initially played Ursula, Daniel Foxx and Tim Gilvin the show was hugely successful in smaller venues and this new production is doubled in length, size and scope with full sets and costumes and a band.

Unfortunate is a wonderful parody, not only giving the audience plenty of belly laughs but also encouraging us to think about the stereotypes of fiction and Hollywood – and how much we may usually accept them without questioning.

There are also plenty of current topics dropped into dialogue which is snappy, witty and very sharp. A word to the wise though, Unfortunate is rude in terms of explicit sexual references and language - its marketing clearly states it is a show for adults and is strongly in that territory, so don’t even think of bringing your Disney-loving youngsters along.

In true Disney style, the show has some great songs, many of which parody tracks from the original. 'Les Poissons' sees Ariel attempting to save Sebastian from the cooking pot while 'Ask The Girl' is a wonderful new take on the Little Mermaid’s 'Kiss The Girl' in which we are reminded a man should ask permission before simply grabbing a girl for a smooch!

Abby Clarke’s set, costumes and puppets are glorious from glow-in-the-dark fish to Ariel’s scaly tail and Triton’s green Lycra bodysuit and net ensemble.

Shawna Hamic takes the role of the supposedly evil Ursula, giving us a much more nuanced character than we are used to. Here is a woman who is smart, sassy, opinionated and prepared to give her heart but when she is spurned she has another side.

Hamic revels in the part, flouncing around the stage in her tentacled costume, playing up to the audience and ensuring she creates an Ursula to be remembered. She can also belt out a tune with lively performances of 'Nasty,' 'Unfortunate' and 'I’m That Witch.'

River Medway’s Ariel is packed full of humour ensuring lots of character in the role by blending the saccharine of the story with a few nods of worldly-wise to the audience.



There is a brilliant performance from Thomas Lowe as the weakling Prince then King Triton. Here is a man who wants to do the right thing but fails to do so again and again.

The trio are given great support by the rest of the cast who swap roles quicker than you can blink an eye. Allie Dart is a chipper Sebastian and hilarious Chef, Jamie Mawson gives us a pathetic but very funny Prince Eric and Julian Capolei is like a marathon runner racing from one role to another with plenty of characterization.

It is possible though to have too much of a good thing and with the show including interval and finale coming in at two hours and forty-five minutes, it does feel a bit stretched, particularly in the first half. Furthermore, at the performance I was at, the sound muffled much of the ensemble songs so that I missed many of the lines - a shame when so much work has gone into ensuring each one is so smart.

That said, Unfortunate remains an impressive piece of theatre. It breaks the mould and makes us think while dishing up a thoroughly entertaining and imaginative show with some great characters and songs.

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