Little M | The Place

Little M, created by Anders Duckworth, is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid that blends dance, puppetry, lighting, movement and music to create a magical and transportive show. Little M has been explored through a contemporary lens, allowing for a more accepting and inclusive adaptation. Co-directed by Duckworth and Luke Skilbeck, Little M becomes a piece of theatre that is aimed at the whole family, bringing magic to the entire audience. 

The show follows Little M, who collects sunken treasures with their friend Punk the Puffer Fish, and dreams of dancing with the women above the water and living on land. After being constantly chastised by their grandmother, encouraged by their older sibling Aurora and having saved the fallen Prince, Little M visits the Sea Witch. After Little M agrees to give up their voice to fit into a new society, they discover that things aren't going to be as straightforward as they'd hoped. 

Little M is written by Skilbeck, who has mined a gorgeous story from the original source material. The show honours the themes of self-acceptance and being true to one's self, with Little M learning to accept both their desire to live in water and on land. Skilbeck's story makes for a very special and empowering reimaging of the story and creates a powerful message. 

Choreographed by Duckworth, the piece flows beautifully, which helps the piece to breathe and come alive. Every movement and scene has been impeccably choreographed, and each character has a distinctive style that helps with the storytelling element. The movements are slick and propel the story forward. Duckworth takes into account the locations of the scene, with underwater movements more hypnotic and slower paced, and the dances on land taking on louder and faster movements. The cast move as one, with trust and expertise shining brightly as they allow themselves to become one with the music. Duckworth's choreography is reason alone to watch this show. 

The talented cast is made up of Jose Funnell, Áine Reynolds, Naissa Bjørn and Tylee Jones who play a multitude of roles. The cast are so effective in their roles and character transformations, that it's easy to forget that it's not a larger ensemble of dancers. The performers are each incredibly giving as they use their bodies to speak and emote for they remain silent throughout. By allowing their physicality, acting and movement to convey their intentions, the four dancers blur the lines between a physical embodiment of the characters and the characters themselves. 

The show instead chooses to use voice overs for the characters, with the cast of four stepping in for each role. The voiceovers do help with specific storytelling and dialogues; yet with the dancing being so captivating, the voiceovers often fade into the background. The voices are soothing and gentle, as though they were narrating a children's bedtime story, bringing a sense of serenity to the show. 

E. M. Parry's design for the piece helps uplift the show tremendously, making it both subtle and yet spectacular all at once. With support from Kit Hinchliffe as associate set designer, the set is relatively simple, with untangled fishing nets and glittery threads draped around the stage. A bathtub sits to the side, filled with Little M's collected treasures, adding to their desire to be a part of a different world. Eve Oakley (associate costume design) has created costumes that are both practical for dance whilst still incorporating the underwater element with knotted tops,and baggy blue and green pants (and carefully tied skirts to denote the tails).

Scamp Niemz is the co-designer and maker of the puppets, and they've created a stunning collection. The use of a miniature ship as a boat, especially through shadow work is a moment of genius, and really makes the piece feel like a far away fairy tale. Punk the Puffer fish is a durable puppet that expands with every inhale, allowing the character to feel realistic, whilst still remaining colourful and animated for younger audiences.

Carey Chomsoonthorn's lighting washes over the stage, creating a soothing blue ripple effect that transports the set underwater. Chomsoothorn's lighting design also really crackles during moments of a storm, replicating the effect well on stage. Nicole Raymond/NikNak's composition and sound design takes the audience on a journey of their own, as the different styles of dance are explored via different genres of music 

Little M re-examines the beloved story by drawing parallels with the young mermaids desire to live both underwater and on land, with gender identity. The power of self love and acceptance comes through strongly in the piece, rendering it a meaningful and powerful iteration of Andersen's original story. Individually, each element of the show is strong, with particular emphasis on the choreography, and it comes together to create a truly special piece. 

★★★★★ (5*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Camilla Greenwell