Melissa Madden Gray as Meow Meow in Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid presented by Brisbane Festival and Datacom. photograph by Pia Johnson.
Meow Meow is Melissa Madden Gray: a dancer and actress who travels the world with her performances. Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid is part two of the ‘little’ trilogy which began in 2011 with Little Match Girl. This show still makes sense even if you have not seen Little Match Girl.
Don’t let the title fool you. It is not a sweet Disney production, although it does have a prince – played by Bobby Fox – as well as a glass slipper and of course a dress for the ball, but that is where the similarity ends. Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid is full of adult love and full of innuendo, boasting adult themes and props that look innocent enough, though in Meow Meow’s world they are something more.
Brisbane Festival, every year, brings one of the only few Spiegeltents in the world to allow performers to do their ‘thing’, be that cabaret, circus or singing – a perfect venue for this Little Mermaid.
The Spiegeltent has a small round stage with chairs seated around the stage rather in rows which gave the audience a great view of Meow Meow’s sparkling eyes, full red lips and an outfit every cabaret performer should have: fishnets and a corset.
The band, only small in number and dressed all in white, came on stage not long after Meow Meow introduced proceedings and kept to the background; our diva made it obvious from the start that the focus was rightfully on her.
The story of Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid is about love: does it exist? Is there such a thing as love at first sight? Meow Meow engages with the audience with wonderful expressiveness and flirtatious charm; indeed, three men were ‘brave enough’ to join her on stage to possibly be her prince.
She has an amazing vocal range from operatic to rock ballads. Though sometimes dark, a light-hearted aspect to the production appears when a safety inspector (or rather Meow Meow’s fantasy) appears on the scene in the form of Bobby Fox, complete with gold suit and shell-shaped codpiece. His uplifting voice was unexpected; their duets gave the impression they were performing in a private musical written just for the two of them.
Meow Meow transfixes with her charms. She deserves love, but then doesn’t every one? Her versatility of movement, voice, quick wit and stage presence are a well-honed skill. To have one is great but to have all four working together so well is purely magical. On a wet Brisbane night she certainly conjured love in the Spiegeltent.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Meow Meow’s Little Mermaid
DIRECTOR
Michael Kantor
SET & COSTUME DESIGNER
Anna Cordingley
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Paul Jackson
DRAMATURGY
Tom Wright
COMEDY DIRECTOR
Cal McCrystal
CHOREOGRAPHER
Kate Denborough
FEATURING
Bobby Fox and The Siren Effect Orchestra
MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS
Jherek Bischoff, Iain Grandage, Thomas M Lauderdale, Kate Miller-Heidke, Amanda Palmer, Megan Washington
STAGE MANAGER
Lisa Osborn
PRODUCTION MANAGER
David Miller
LIGHTING REALISER
Stephen Hawker
Brisbane Festival
www.brisbanefestival.com.au
3-24 September 2016
