Review: Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch, UK Tour, at the Lowry, Salford

You know The Little Mermaid right? (If you didn't, did you have a childhood?) Ever wondered about Ursula's side of the story? What made one of Disney's best villains who she is today? 

Created by Fat Rascal productions, Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch, goes just down that route. 

The show has just done a London stint in the summer, before moving to the Edinburgh Fringe and is now making a splash (hehe) across the UK on tour. By the time you read this, it would has finished its run in the Quays Theatre at the Lowry, Salford. 

The Quays is a much better space than the Lyric for a show like this. Unfortunate wouldn't look out of place out of somewhere like the Hope Mill, or even as part of a drag club on Canal Street. The set made up of large fish bones, and curtains of seaweed tinsel. 

First thing to note though, so try not to be deceived on its target audience...

It starts sweet enough, a cute little fish swimming around... Then the fish gets captured, we hear it being eaten by someone... And then Ursula comes through the tinsel curtain. "SURPRISE BITCH!"
Yeah. This is NOT for kids. 

While, this has the same premise as something like Wicked, and the sassiness of SIX, it also has the dirtiness of something like Sinderella and the satirical comedy of The Book of Mormon - heck just listen to We Didn't Make It To Disney sung by Flotsam & Jetsam for that tid-bit.... 

Unfortunate makes it clear that it is a parody through and through, and shouldn't be taken seriously as Wicked per se. But I think that excuse can only take it so far, as some of the parts taken up in the first third or so of the piece (which I personally think is the best section), don't get explored enough for me, and are just replaced by mocking satire. Not that it was bad, but they could have taken some lines out and it would have still worked. 

This is a no-brainer if you're an Ursula fan. And also an Ariel-hater!

Thanking the signer!

The team really lean into the questionable choices Ariel makes in the original film, and in a way makes use of the parody the most. Miracle Chance takes on playing Ariel as if she were part TOWIE teenager. Essentially a complete brat. Oh and her performance of this Ariel's Part of Your World.... What makes it so funny is that it really makes the cynical view clear. "Wish I could be," she sings "Where the 🍆s are!"

And what of Ursula herself? Well Allie Dart (u/s) brought some of the sass from the Ursula we know and love, while making her unique enough from the one the late Pat Carroll made so iconic. She strutted through her lines with an eyebrow almost permanently raised. 

Unfortunate is not perfect, but it is an incredibly fun night out. I would be honest with you, enjoy as part of a group of friends - with drinks in hand!