Ok. Word. Of. Advice. If you're planning to go to The Surfer and the Mermaid over the next couple of days. Take a keep cup.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Don't be like me, sitting almost on the front row feeling like you've just killed the Mermaid and the blue whales' home.
When the whale said: "How can one small boy make a difference?" I could feel a hundred pairs of small boys' eyes looking at my take away coffee, bought earlier at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre coffee shop. Lesson learnt and peak guilt achieved.
The Surfer and the Mermaid is the Merrigong Theatre Company's first home grown production for children, showing at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre until Saturday, July 20.
The 45 minute play is written by renowned Australian surf writer Tim Baker. Adam Booth, stars as a young surfer on a magical underwater journey.
The play is being shown in the Bruce Gordon Theatre, the smaller of centre's two stages, and with the help of clever video projection and Booth's method acting it felt like you were in the deep blue with him. I even found myself holding my breath at one point.
With a minimal set (mostly made out of recyclable material of course), and the lone actor on stage, Adam does a great job of engaging the audience and taking them into his underwater story.
The Surfer and the Mermaid is recommended for children aged four years and upwards. My eldest, aged nine, got a lot of the production. He understood the key messages around protecting the ocean and respected the presentation of the story.
It was a harder sit for my six-year-old. There aren't many laughs and a lot of explanation was needed as he figured out the set and why only one person was on stage. I'm not convinced he understands the themes - he's still trying to figure out how the surfer could breathe under the water for so long.
On the other hand, the show is just 45 minutes long and is over before you know it, so if you've got a little one that's a fidget or not that into the story, it's not that big a deal.
If you're wondering what's in it for the parents. I'd say it was an enjoyable performance. The key messages are really positive, and well, you'll never drop litter or buy a takeaway coffee again because you're children will remind you that you're killing the mermaids. Win. Win.
The Surfer and the Mermaid is directed by Merrigong's artistic development manager and surfer Leland Kean and the set was designed by Katja Handt.
Limited tickets, priced at $28, are still available to The Surfer and the Mermaid at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre for showings at 10am and 12.30pm, Friday, July 19 and Saturday, July 20.
The 10am show on Saturday will be a relaxed performance designed to welcome people who benefit from a more informal performance environment for a range of real-life reasons, including young children and people living with Autism.
While you're here, did you know the Illawarra Mercury has a subscribers only newsletter which will keep you informed on all the great things to do in the Illawarra? You can sign up here.
Gayle Tomlinson
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury. Scottish but fell in love with Dharawal Land. Send us your feedback and questions. Subscribe so we can continue to speak up for the Illawarra.
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury. Scottish but fell in love with Dharawal Land. Send us your feedback and questions. Subscribe so we can continue to speak up for the Illawarra.
