Review: UNFORTUNATE - The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch @ Quays Theatre, Lowry, Salford

 

 ★★★★ (4 of 5)

We were keen to catch up with the new production of Unfortunate - The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch which we originally reviewed back in July 2024 on its first major UK tour.

Now the production is back for a festive season at the Quays Theatre at the Lowry in Salford (and then on to the Other Palace in London). In the interim some revisions have been made, songs have been added and numbers cut.  So quite an overhaul of the basic show, plus an all new cast to tell the story of the misunderstood Octo-woman. 

 

Musically, there has been quite a big revision.  we can see six new numbers in the show and for the most part these all enhance the proceedings, as does indeed the revamp of the script.  "Another Day (Under The Waves)" sets the tone perfectly for this piss take of the Disney ideal (and indeed "We Didn't Make It To Disney" has thankfully been retained, as it is one of the best numbers).  

We are taken back to the beginning of Ursula's story,  where she falls in love with Triton, the son of King Neptune,  only to have Neptune fake the killing of a sea cumcumber in her name and banish her to the dark waters, all so his son doesn't get to marry the Octo-pussy.  Many years later however, when Triton is now King himself, he is forced to seek Ursula's help in dealing with his headstrong youngest daughter Ariel...

This new production is every bit as wonderful as previous interations of the show, and it comes with a mostly new cast of fine players.  Allie Dart has been retained to provide the wonderful Colette, chef to the court of Prince Eric.  Her Edith Piaf-inflected "Les Poissons" is one of the highlights of the evening.  Like all the performers, she doubles in several roles, not least that of crab Sebastian. Seeing her cleverly performing both roles in the kitchen scene is sheer joy.  Miracle Chance delights as Ariel, a mermaid with Essex girl attitude, and who hits all the comic moments head on.  Her solo "Where The Dicks Are" causes a riot of laughter.  Blair Robertson is hunky sculpted Triton, a commanding voice and adding fishy machismo into the proceedings.  James Spence seems to be a star on the ascendent, just starting his career but with bags of charisma, and his morally dubious King Neptune kick starts the show much laughter.  

But the evening belongs - as it always should - to Sam Buttery, whose devious Ursula Squirts is a force of nature.  Part cartoon villain, part drag queen, part diva,  Buttery dominates the show.  From the first note to the last, its a star performance.This Octo-woman is not going to be pushed around by anyone, least of all a Mer-man!  She gives high energy realness to the much maligned sea witch. Its a role which offers great scope, and Buttery makes the most of every OTT moment. The role might have been written for her. 

Jasmine Swan creates the underwater world with style, managing with a few pieces of scenery to conjure up the various locales of the story both in the water and on land.  Coupled with puppetry of a high order, and the atmospheric lighting of Adam King,  it all adds up to a festive adult feast.  Two musicans are listed, keys and drums, so the musical backing must be heavily sequenced, however the songs come over with gusto, so the producers have got it right.

 

We arrived with fears that the show we loved would perhaps not be quite as good with major changes and a new cast,  but left assured everyone involved has taken it to a whole new level of maritime fabulousness. Welcome back Ursula and the sea world crew,  it is good to know the show is in such safe hands.

Rob & Ian 

Keep up to date with all things Ursula at the UNFORTUNATE MUSICAL WEBSITE

Further listening:

It can only be the 2023 UK Tour cast recording featuring Shawna Hamic and River Medway, its fabulously fishy fun from a hit squad cast. Get suckin' on it via major streaming services.

Review: KINKY BOOTS (UK Tour)

 

★★★★ (4 of 5)

Principal cast performing on 30/11/25:

Tosh Wanogho-Maud (Lola / Simon)

Liam Doyle (Charlie)

Courtney Bowman (Lauren) 

Joanna O'Hare (Nicola)

Billy Roberts (Don) 

 In this age where we all have to have a label,  Kinky Boots stands as a beacon for the queer community and the fight for acceptance. Based on the 2005 movie (itself inspired by a true story) of a Northampton shoe makers who hit hard times, only to discover a market for drag queens and their 'kinky boots', the show has been the toast of Broadway and the West End.  With music by pop goddess Cyndi Lauper and a book by the iconic Harvey Fierstein, this new production -  a product of the Curve in Leicester - hit the road earlier this year and we are finally able to catch up with it, as it ends it UK tour and heads to mainland Europe.

 Tosh Wanogho-Maud is Lola

For the uninitiated,  Price & Sons has been making quality shoes in Northampton for several generations.  Passed down from father to son.  Charlie is at odds with his father,  he intends to move to London with his fiance to work in real estate. Just as Charlie looks to start a new life down south,  fate intervenes.  His father has passed away suddenly and the factory becomes Charlie's concern.  Discovering that finances are low, with stock being returned daily as retailers invest in cheap footwear from abroad,  he is under pressure to keep it going for the sake of the workers whose lives depend on it.  Fate intervenes, when on a visit to London he gets caught up in the mugging of a 'lady'. He is knocked out in the process. When he comes to, he finds the shoe that hit him belongs to Lola,  drag queen extraordinaire. Bemoaning that finding quality footwear for ladies of a certain size is impossible,  Charlie hatches a plan.  What if his factory starts producing bespoke footwear for drag queens. If they can get samples ready for the impending international footwear fashion show in Milan, maybe the factory could be saved?  So begins the journey of personal and professional discovery for both Charlie and Lola.

Set and costume designer Robert Jones has created a multi level environment which of course has the Price & Son factory as its focus, but also creates more intimate spaces when required, such a the toilet setting for an unsuspecting ballad. The juxtoposition of drab factory with Lola's world of drag is fully realised. Together with the sumptuous costumes worn by Lola and the Angels, it all adds up to a vista for the eye.  Throw in Ben Cracknell's always amazing lighting, and you have one impressive canvas on which to place your characters. 

 

Tosh Wanogho-Maud, who we last saw singing up a storm as Ben E. King in The Drifters Girl, knocks it out of the park as Lola. Sassy dance moves coupled with a genuinely thrilling voice takes his Lola to the next level, he is every inch the star.  Not that his fellow cast are slouches, far from it.  Liam Doyle (standing in for Dan Partridge) is a winning Charlie, again a marvellous voice and he finds the right balance of fish out of water and determination that embodies Charlie.  Courtney Bowman's Lauren is a cookie delight, in love with Charlie but also the voice of reason as the kinkiness descends.  Billy Roberts' Don is the villain of the piece, a homophobe who challenges Lola's right to be in their world. Its a finely tuned turn,  just the right amount of horrible without plunging into caricature.  The ensemble are wonderfully versatile, with Scott Paige always a standout, this time as George, factory foreman.  

Cyndi Lauper's score is the perfect mix of electro-pop and heart-renching ballads. "I'm Not My Father's Son" has an emotional impact which resonates long after the curtain has fallen, similarly "Soul Of A Man" becomes a cry from the heart.  But of course this show is all about feel-good so whilst these moments are among the best of the show, we get the big tit shaking disco stompers "Land Of Lola", "Sex Is In The Heel" and "Raise You Up" to counteract the waves of emotion.  Its good to know that Cyndi is working on her second musical,  she has set herself a high bar with this one.

Director Nikolai Foster has once again proved he has the common touch,  he knows how to deliver all the beats an audience expect, and to serve the story. Some of the early scenes felt a little rushed through, but when a musical is running at 2½ hours, you can't dwell on every moment.  The audience reaction said it all at the end of the show, a genuine heartfelt standing ovation and we like to think its message of inclusivity was being celebrated too.  If this is Kinky, we want more.

 

Rob & Ian

 

Further listening:

 

Why not try the original London cast recording featuring Killian Donnelly and Matt Henry, recorded live at the Adelphi Theatre. Sex is in the CD...