This is a fairytale pitched squarely at the 21st century and our post-post-post modernity. Meow Meow explores heartache and heartbreak with a platform of self-reflexive comedy and puns aplenty. She guides you hand in hand into the idea of love and a story "about happiness" (your basic fairytale bread and butter) before tearing it apart in search of "that perfect man". Her voice is the staple pleasure of the show and her original songs can only be said to give a tingling sensation throughout the audience. Above and beyond her performative prowess, the show's framework demonstrates her intellectualism through a tongue-in-cheek torrent of sexual references and fun. If you're after cabaret vibes, hyper-intellectual theatre, or an easy night out, Meow Meow has you covered.
Little Mermaid's tech deserves an entire paragraph. What we wouldn't hope to see in an established theatre, let alone the Spiegeltent, is on display for the whole 70 minutes. Remote control props, acrobatics and a humongous ring that sets itself into the stage before rising and turning into a void-like mirror are just some of the technical feats that populate the set. Paul Jackson's lighting design is phenomenal. We are buffeted by a storm and calmed under the sea with some of the more impressive lighting that theatre can offer.
This is a show for everyone to enjoy. It is superbly intelligent and joyously new. It promises to be a cornerstone of Sydney Festival's energetic programme.
