Unfortunate returns and prepares to make a huge splash in London!
Unfortunate is the parody musical first premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019. The story follows the untold story of the classic Disney villain Ursula (Sam Buttery). We start the show with the history of Ursula, her upbringing and school life. By the interval, we are journeying through The Little Mermaid story: finding out secrets and truths not told in the original story. Though will the show end with an unfortunate ending for our sea witch or will things work out differently?
I watched the original UK tour back in 2024 at Peterborough. The show was funny, using lots of humour to tell the story of the diva of the sea. It was clear that there were certain elements which didn’t work and could do with being reworked. When I heard that Unfortunate was returning with an updated version, I was thrilled to go watch and see this refined edition of the show. Though, I was skeptical on any musical changes due to listening and loving the soundtrack. Some of the best songs include ‘Suckin’ On You’, ‘Hot Girl Summer’ and ‘Unfortunate’.
The costumes continue to work incredibly well: giving a very aquatic feel to the show. Similarly, the lighting is well implemented to help with transitions and during songs. The set seems to be smaller but works well for the new revamped production. Talking about the changes, they were very appreciated and made the whole experience feel a lot more streamlined: whilst keeping the edge Unfortunate has always had. To match this, the lyrics are changed in a few places to suit and they work well too. The ensemble worked really well in this show, adding to the atmosphere by becoming many different characters. They brought some fun choreography which helped make the stage feel more alive! I’m gutted that ‘Hot Girl Summer’ is gone but also understand that it really did halt parts of the second act: being replaced by a new version of ‘I’m That Witch’
James Spence plays Eric among other characters. He did a great job at playing the flute loving Prince, singing his joyful tune about playing it. He also did well to mix between character on the fly. Julie Yammanee plays Ariel. She was great at playing into the silliness of Ariel in this production, singing a great rendition of Part of your World parody song. It was always an iconic moment and Yammanee really helped to deliver this. Blair Robertson plays King Triton among other characters. Robertson is a great King Triton, offering a great love interest for Ursula. His duet with Buttery ‘Suckin’ On You’ remains as a one of the best songs on the soundtrack: deliver perfect in this production!
Allie Dart plays Sebastian among other characters. Dart has been with the production for a while and gives life to each character she plays. Her rendition of ‘Les Poissons’ is still better than the original and Dart helps to deliver this effectively. The sea witch herself, Ursula, is played by the talented Sam Buttery. Buttery is the perfect Ursula, giving both amazing vocals and comedy throughout. I really enjoyed her version of ‘Unfortunate’ which is a great way to end act one. Similarly her chemistry with Robertson was really strong: helping to make the love feel real.
It would be unfortunate not to experience this show before April! Book your tickets now!
Max
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