A queer retelling of The Little Mermaid, Merboy doesn’t actually do it for me on the Omnibus Theatre
“Marooned out at sea
and the greedy moon is fat
Fed by the tide
to show far and wide
That I have grown”
On the face of it, a queer retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid might work. Liam Sesay’s Merboy is a daring try, clearly personally felt in its sem-autobiographical nature, because it blends camp frivolity with altogether extra critical thematic leanings. But in its want to be so poetic, it finally ends up kinda lacking the mark.
Repurposing the narrative to discover the sexual awakening of a mixed-race queer boy, there’s a intentionally retro styling that folds in a soundtrack of Nineteen Sixties woman group songs. And via rhyming verse, storytelling and lip-syncing, racist and homophobic slurs sit alongside Merboy’s journey of revelation in a considerably disjointed combine.
There’s clearly thought behind the work from director Scott Le Crass and motion director Carl Harrison to create an otherworldly vibe however the result’s that it’s too simple to really feel emotionally estranged. Production values are sturdy within the musical numbers however the retro vibe typically jars towards up to date cultural references.
Kemi Clarke’s Merboy elevates the work as he holds from the centre however there’s a slight sense of chaos round him because the Greek Chorus of Ralph Bogard, Yasmin Dawes and Anthony Psaila multi-role as Seawitch, Mother and Sailor respectively. An idea in want of additional refining to essentially tempt us below the ocean.