The Little Mermaid is a well-known story, and a beloved one at that. The story of a mermaid who gave up everything she knew to be able to push her boundaries and explore the world around her is something we’ve all grown up with. And putting a new twist on Danish author Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale is Theatre Nisha, in collaboration with Youth Goodwill Ambassadors from Denmark. The performance is part of a series of events conducted by the ambassadors to raise awareness about study and work opportunities in Denmark.
“This is the second year we are collaborating with them,” says Sunandha Raghunathan from Theatre Nisha who is also the director of the production. Last year, the theatre troupe performed five of Hans Christian Anderson’s short stories, including Sunshine Stories, The Ugly Duckling and the Matchstick Girl, among others.
However this year, The Little Mermaid (TLM) was not Sunandha’s first choice for the event. “We wanted to explore the Volsunga Saga, something that inspired Tolkien himself. But it was a little too heavy. So between the Snow Queen and TLM, we picked the latter,” she says.
Theatre Nisha’s version though, is not as happy as Anderson’s, reveals Sunandha. Where in the book she becomes a ‘daughter of the air’, on stage dies of a broken heart. “We wanted to give a context for the mermaid - a contrast and, at the same time, draw parallels to her story with modern day incidents,” explains the director.
On stage, Ariel not only rebels against what she is expected to do, but her actions are a metaphor for several incidents relating to women and their safety. “Through Ariel, we are confronting issues of honor killing, racism, fascism and maybe a little bit of jingoism that’s gotten a hold of us these days,” she says.
The characters are quite fluid – no one actor portrays the mermaid all by herself, while the soundscaping by Sandeep John has really helped to bring out the physicality of the story, Sunandha adds.