Journey beneath the waves for an amazing aquatic adventure with Northern Ballet’s production of The Little Mermaid at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday (April 17), writes Georgina Butler.
Mermaids are ridiculously on trend right now, so theatregoers of all ages are sure to flip out when the Leeds-based touring company presents its enthralling interpretation of a childhood classic.
Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 19th Century fairy-tale, this new ballet goes deeper than the Disney version to tell the heart-rending story of a beautiful mermaid who forsakes everything she knows for love.
The melodic-voiced protagonist in Northern Ballet’s The Little Mermaid is Marilla.
As the youngest of three mermaid sisters, Marilla is denied the opportunity to join her siblings when they swim to the surface in search of trinkets from the human world.
However, once her sisters return with a locket holding a portrait of a handsome man, Marilla’s curiosity about life beyond the ocean intensifies and she decides to swim to the surface.
When Marilla encounters - and falls madly in love with - the young prince whose picture was hidden in the locket, she is desperate to stand beside him in the human community as his sweetheart. Making the greatest sacrifice, she drinks a potion that allows her to swap her underwater oasis for life on dry land with legs - but also leaves her without a voice and in terrible pain.
After giving up so much, will the power of her love be enough to grant this little mermaid a happy ever after with the man she adores?
The creative mind behind the magic of Northern Ballet’s The Little Mermaid is the company’s artistic director, Canadian choreographer David Nixon OBE. He has transformed the story into a two-act ballet, set to an original score by composer Sally Beamish.
Nixon’s The Little Mermaid premiered in Southampton last September and is the third in a trio of brand new full-length ballets produced by Northern Ballet in 2017. The other two ballets – Casanova and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - were presented at Milton Keynes Theatre and Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, respectively, last year.
The exquisite costumes for The Little Mermaid – which include shimmering mermaid tails adorned with countless handsewn iridescent scales – were dreamt up by Nixon. Japanese designer Kimie Nakano is responsible for the sets, while the lighting has been devised by Tim Mitchell.
Artistic Director David Nixon OBE said: “The Little Mermaid is an enchanting story and the fantastical underwater world of the mermaids evokes such beautiful imagery. So many people have grown up with this classic tale and so I am looking forward to bringing this new production to Milton Keynes for the first time and reintroducing our audience to the world beyond the waves.”
This seductive new deep-sea ballet is sure to tempt ballet aficionados and newcomers alike so get booking!
To book tickets click here
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