In exchange for legs, every step The Little Mermaid takes on land is agonising, like walking on broken glass. Too terrified to disappoint her father through failing to sell enough matchsticks, The Little Match Girl freezes to death in an alley. And in The Red Shoes, a girl must dance to her death for deigning to cherish the last gift bestowed by her late mother.Â
What, exactly, is revered fairytale-spinner Hans Christian Andersenâs beef with young women and their humble desire to merely exist in happiness and safety?
Yeah, what's this guy's damage?
An excellent question that cabaret goddess and all-round chimerical queen Meow Meow has pondered across a triptych of tantalising works. Each unpicks the thorny crown the dubious Dane imposed on the heart of his not-very-Disney fantasies.Â
Our voyage began with absurdly comic diva Meow Meowâs 2011 spin on The Little Match Girl. Continuing five years later with The Little Mermaid, itâs been a long road to reach the crowning glory, but by golly was it worth the inordinate, near-decade-long wait.
Whatâs the gist and whoâs involved in Meow Meowâs The Red Shoes?
Directed by Kate Champion, whose work lives up to that sterling surname, Meow Meowâs The Red Shoes opens on a great big pile of trash. Heaped on the left-hand side of the Merlyn stage by whip-smart set and costume designer Dann Barber, the detritus of capitalismâs ghosts includes boxy TVs, old speakers, an abandoned fridge and a rubbery tyre, all ashen as if this is a...
There's a lot happening across Melbourne's stages, so how do you know where to start? Thankfully our critics are always on hand to help with a recommendation. Be sure to also keep an eye on our round-up of the best of Melbourne theatre and musicals each month, and if funds are a bit tight lately, check out our explainer on how to nab cheap theatre tickets in Melbourne.
