Presented by: Pelican Productions
Reviewed: 16 August 2026
Pelican Productions has a strong reputation for producing good quality youth productions, but The Little Mermaid Jr blew away even my high expectations. From the moment of lights up, these young performers present a show that is polished, professional and both visually and aurally spectacular.
I had the pleasure of seeing Cast 2 perform, and the talent across the entire cast is astounding. Joel Howis as Prince Eric (in both casts) delivers the role with poise and beautiful vocals, while Thomas Mendes plays King Triton with great authority. Samantha Perryman has wonderful physicality and excellent comic timing as Scuttle, and Hunter Walsh presented Sebastian with a consistent accent and really solid vocals, bringing the house down in Under The Sea.
Maddison Fox was commanding as Ursula, with a powerful voice and acting chops to match. Stef Garrod (Flotsam) and Gemma Moran-Machen (Jetsam) had an incredible physicality as the electrified eel sidekicks, and their stage presence and commitment to character even when in the background was a highlight.
The mersisters (Mayah Brook, Evie-Rose Jackson, Alice King, Olivia Lofay, Evie Standish and Claudia Vial) presented a beautifully polished performance, shining in their vocal harmonies. Emma Fisher was the perfect Flounder (also in both casts), bringing out the cheekiness of the character and shining in She’s In Love.
Alyssa Faranda gave a stunning performance as Ariel. With a voice that could believably be one of the most beautiful under the sea, and a strongly acted performance that brought out both humour and a sense of earnestness, Faranda stole the show every moment she was on stage.
The minor roles and ensemble were of equally high quality, each committing fully to every moment on the stage.
Bec Schembri’s direction and choreography (with choreography assistance by Lucy Stirling) is wonderfully story-driven and highly polished. Lines are delivered with purpose and a good sense of characterisation across the board, and the choreography is polished and allows for every cast member to be seen while keeping a sense of movement and purpose to each scene. Vocally this cast is incredibly strong, and Casey Mifsud’s music direction has given every number spot-on harmonies and confident performances.
The set uses Pelican’s iconic scaffold to good effect, creating a separation between the humans on the ship and the action under the sea. The scaffold and scenic projections make up most of the set, keeping plenty of space on the stage for the cast and utilising smaller pieces that rolled on and off the stage to form Ariel’s grotto, Scuttle’s rock, and other locations. Each piece showed excellent attention to detail (particularly the clever effect for the destruction of Ariel’s grotto), and made for speedy set changes. The brightly coloured coral pieces and hanging jellyfish curtain used in Under The Sea were particularly striking. Likewise, the costumes, designed by Jen Frith, were colourful, well-fitted, and effective in suggesting sea creatures without being cumbersome or silly. The use of wheelies (sneakers with retractable wheels in the heel) for the under-sea characters was particularly clever, aiding in the illusion as actors glided across the stage.
I do not exaggerate when I say that this might be the highest quality Junior show I have ever seen. The incredible skills of the production team combined with the bright young talent on the stage is a winning combination. The future of musical theatre in Adelaide is clearly in good hands.
Reviewed by Kristin Stefanoff
Photo credit: supplied
Venue: The Arts Theatre, Angas St Adelaide
Season: ended
Duration: 1hr
