If you’re a sucker for a good collection of original songs, daahlings, sweetie, one that takes you on a journey through different styles and moods, telling stories, plucking at your emotions and showcasing the virtuoso skills of the musicians and singer, then MEOW MEOW’S LITTLE MERMAID is the show for you.

If you’re also a fan of eclectic, hybrid blending of styles, ideas and form that mixes a classic children’s fairytale with cabaret satire creating a decent platform for allowing all manner of mayhem and moments of meaning to bubble to the surface, then definitely line up early for a good seat.

Stir that into the repertoire of an accomplished performer waxing on the most explored and adored topic of all – love; or more specifically, trying to find the damn thing. ‘Love – do we have to hunt it down and kill it?’

And if you are a reasonably attractive, 25 – 35 year old male who is a bit of an extrovert, then sit near the stage. You might get to be part of the onstage action. If a bit shy, go for the booths around the sides of the beautiful Speigeltent. You’ll be safe there.

Meow Meow has complete control of her craft and carries us through her waves of emotional instability with feats of acrobatics, physical slapstick, plastic body parts symbolising past lost loves, a blow up doll, audience interaction, crowd surfing to find a boring bloke, beautiful, sad and hilarious songs and whip cracking sharp shifts in tone and mood.

In a twist to The Little Mermaid tale by Hans Christian Anderson, Meow Meow enters on a thunderclap and lightning SFX, clothed in leopard print fur coat, high heels, sobbing and claiming that this a ‘show about happiness’. The metaphor is established on the lines “Here I go, out to sea again” and ‘There is magic everywhere’ but wonders ‘when love is going to grow up and settle down’. She is searching for true love and has lost her compass in these dark times.

She changes her shoes for flippers, strips off the fur and gown, apparently unselfconsciously waggling her shapely bottom at the audience, complains sharply about the missing bubble effects, straps into a fly harness and off we all go, flying up for down into water as she goes off into the sea, looking for her prince.

The inversion continues – this is no sweet but rebellious princess but rather a bossy, quick witted, bawdy and occasionally sharp tempered character struggling with ticking ovaries and a fantasy vision of what her true love should be like. Here is a contemporary modern woman looking for love.

Several men from the audience, on this night it was Colin, Ziggy and Andy, are dragged on stage for some dress ups and merciless questioning, game show style and when they actually prove to be a little too accomplished she crowd surfs looking for someone ‘boring’.

Another little stylistic twist is when a supposed technical hitch brings Brendan (Chris Ryan) with an ‘a’ onto the stage to be subjected to her flights of fancy and fantasy, only for him to ultimately exit, declaring to the mermaid tail wearing Meow Meow that he is a “leg man”.

Australian actor Chris Ryan has worked with Meow Meow before on her Little Match Girl show and together they make for a good stage duo. Ryan is every bit as skilled and resourceful as she is in morphing and shape shifting physically and vocally.

This show is quite dark and macabre at times, with many surreal images and vignettes. At one part she is caught in a net while wearing one stiletto and one pointe shoe, clearly off balance as she encounters her own fantasy in a high drama escapade that bleeds into Wagnerian operatic moments.

This is a slick and subtly clever production, ably directed by Australian Theatre director Michael Kantor with comedy direction by Cal McCrystal.

An ingenious circular set, designed by costume and set designer Anna Cordingly, boasts a trapdoor of surprises and props, a ring that rises as we metaphorically descend, and has it’s own fly tower. The little clamshell lights create a double charm of retro theatre chic and under the sea world.

The Siren Effect Orchestra is part of the act yet unobtrusive. Directed by Jethro Woodward, we first meet them as an Oom-Pa marching troupe, circling Meow Meow and being chastised for stealing her light! They transform into a French sailor band, settling into their spot on their own little proscenium out of the way and supporting Meow Meow through her repertoire of contemporary original compositions by Amanda Palmer, Jhereck Bischoff, Iaon Grandage, Megan Washington and Kate Miller –Heidke. This represents an excellent compilation of songs – one I would gladly buy.

There are many comparisons of Meow Meow to other famous and renowned cabaret artists, many of them valid. However, she is unique and has her own style, wit and approach to theme. Early in the show she declared that we will get our money’s worth, even if she has to pop out a nipple.

You’ll have to go see it to find out if she pops out the nipple. At all times we were manipulated and held in the thrall of a performer who has absolute command of the space and the material.

First in best dressed. So be sharp to arrive, buy a bottle (or 3) at the bar and settle in for the 70 minute, no interval show in either a comfortable 10 person booth, or an up close intimate spot in the front.

MEOW MEOW’S LITTLE MERMAID is playing the Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent until January 23.

http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2016/meow-meows-little-mermaid