Fans of 2000s glam nostalgia, H20: Just Add Water, and puns galore, are the clear target audience for Red Kitchen Collective’s Tall Tails. Ditzy mermaid characters and endless pop culture references make for a light-hearted quest straight out of a 2000s sitcom, but one ultimately let down by a convoluted plot and one-dimensional characters.
The spectacle begins before we take our seats. The audience enters the door via a human archway made by the mermaids themselves; donned in sparkly sequins, they gently welcome, sweetly asking us to make ourselves at home. Indicated only by a blow-up palm tree, we are in uncharted waters and have exited the human realm. The audience quickly becomes familiar with five different members of the mermaid sisterhood, all with endearing sea-related names (Mishell and Suenami, to name a few). Having been victims of chronic people-pleasing, the team of five venture to a retreat, wanting to combat this behaviour and grow into their own identities.
The ethereal costumes brought the show’s whimsical and nostalgic aesthetic to life. From the gothic overtones of Sealine’s costume to the ethereal sparkly orange of Misty’s, they are a striking and sparkling Gen Z fashion reimagination of beloved mermaid sitcoms of the 2000s. Dreamy green pastel lighting added to the hazy, otherworldly atmosphere. It is in small details that the world of mermaid pastel glam really shimmers, made possible by the team of five actresses who not only starred but wrote, produced, and designed the costumes and lighting.
The comedy relies heavily on amusing mermaid-related puns combined with pop culture references, whether to human gadgets and apps in mermaid world such as “Shellphones” or “Bluetube”, or mermaid equivalents of infamous celebrities including “Shellen Degeneres”. While at first the puns were welcome ways to invert the human world, they quickly became overly saturated.
From ditzy and off-with-the-fairies Misty (Holly Taylor) to love-drunk and obsessive Suenami (Emma Kowalchuk), the quirky mix of the friends’ personalities pays homage to beloved 2000s sitcoms and girl dramas. Many of the characters felt one-dimensional, defined and told apart only by quirky features.
In a surprising twist, the crowd not only watches the play but becomes an audience for whom the mermaids perform. In this moment, the mostly light-hearted and surface-level play becomes satirical in a commentary on voyeurism and gendered power dynamics. The clever plot device is nevertheless rushed at the end, undercut by a last whimsical hurrah of a dance to ‘What Should We Do With a Drunken Sailor.’
Although it doesn’t break new ground, Tall Tails is charming, vibrant, and will nevertheless make a splash for mermaid sitcom and goofy comedy enthusiasts.
Tall Tails is running until 9 August at The Space UK at Surgeons’ Hall. Buy tickets here.
Image provided to The Student by Red Kitchen Collective.