Teatro Kismet in association with Warwick Arts Centre presents

The Mermaid Princess

Adapted and directed by Teresa Ludovico

Italy’s Teatro Kismet returns in 2010 with another enchanting adaptation of a Hans Christian Anderson classic. The Mermaid Princess tours nationally from March – July following the critical success of their internationally acclaimed production: The Snow Queen as well as celebrating the company’s sixteenth year of showcasing these unique productions in the UK.

Teatro Kismet’s signature physical and visual style has consistently appealed to both children and adults and their award winning adaptations have captivated audiences world-wide for over twenty five years.

This brand new English speaking production of The Mermaid Princess utilises evocative imagery, magical drama and poetic text with depth and sophistication allowing all ages to experience this atmospheric piece.

The Mermaid Princess tells the moving story of a mermaid living deep in the ocean with a spellbindingly beautiful voice. She rescues a shipwrecked prince and falls in love with him, requesting a mortal transformation from a sea witch who demands her sublime singing voice in return. As well, she is warned that she will turn into sea foam should she fail to marry the prince. After accepting, Mermaid becomes mute and her prince marries another. Heartbroken, Mermaid kills her prince, escaping her destiny but the prince’s new bride transforms into sea foam which in turn becomes a cloud of mist and takes off into the sky. This mesmerizing tale reflects the constantly fluctuating nature of existence, a continuing metamorphoses where there is no ‘Happy ever after’ but an eventuality which is as unique as everything in nature.

Following Beauty and the Beast and The Snow Queen, The Mermaid Princess completes a trilogy dedicated to both children and adults, enabling them to share together the powerful narrative and the magical dimensions of the fairy tale. In a lofty and suspended universe the characters light up with colour, iridescent figures stolen from eighteenth century painting, who travel between earth, sea and sky. Music, dance, masks and physical storytelling combine harmoniously to create a lucid and evocative production.

The Mermaid Princess is a free adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.

Previous UK tours include Little Red Riding Hood (1994), Pinocchio (1996), Beauty and the Beast (2002), Little Mysteries (2004) and The Snow Queen (2007 & 2009). Teatro Kismet featured at the Brighton Festival with a new production of Gilgamesh (2004) and co-produced original new work for children with Birmingham REP: Through the Woods (2004). They also created the first full theatrical production of Nino Rota’s opera for children The Swineherd Prince with the Fondazione Lirico Sinfonica Petruzzelli in Bari. This production was presented at Birmingham REP in a collaboration with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2007). They have just premiered a new adaptation of Moliere’s The Hypochondriac.

This UK tour, following an extensive European tour, is produced by Warwick Arts Centre, confirming the centre’s commitment to bringing the best international theatre to audiences across the UK. The tour has been made possible thanks to support from Arts Council England.

The Mermaid Princess is suitable for everyone aged 8 and upwards.