“An enchanting fairy story brought splashing into present-day, superbly woven around a highly descriptive text” —The Public Reviews
A bold reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's tale of love, loss and desire, transported to a contemporary setting.
Beneath the ocean's waves there is no death or pain or separation. Above, the modern world is beset with war, poverty and desire.
On her sixteenth birthday, a mermaid rises up to the surface, leaving her childhood behind forever when she falls in love with a mortal prince. She knows that she can no longer live at the bottom of the ocean—but must she destroy herself in order to be loved?
Polly Teale's Mermaid was first performed by Shared Experience and Nottingham Playhouse on a UK tour in 2015.
Polly Teale is Artistic Director of Shared Experience. Her other plays for the company include the Time Out and Evening Standard Award–winning After Mrs. Rochester, Brontë, and an acclaimed adaptation of Jane Eyre.