New Theatre Royal Lincoln presents its Easter production The Adventures of The Little Mermaid

Audiences can take a trip under the sea this Easter in The Adventures of The Little Mermaid.

New Theatre Royal Lincoln’s Easter production will be on stage between Sunday, April 7 and Sunday, April 14, following on from last year’s production of The Wizard of Oz, which was the theatre’s most successful Easter Production to date.

Some familiar faces will also be returning.

After playing the Unicorn Fairy in the theatre’s 2018 Christmas pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, TV personality Amelia Lily returns as The Sea Witch.

Amelia shot to fame in 2011 after reaching the final of The X Factor. Since then, she has finished runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother, released her own music, and has starred in numerous touring and West End theatrical productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, American Idiot, and Shrek the Musical.

Amelia will be joined on stage by Lincoln’s very own Georgia Hayes-Cowley, as The Little Mermaid. Georgia most recently starred as the title role in the theatre’s 2022 Christmas pantomime, Cinderella. Audiences may also recognise Georgia from performances as Raksha (The Jungle Book, 2022), The Tin Woman (The Wizard of Oz, 2019), and the Slave of the Ring (Aladdin, 2017).

Also returning to the New Theatre Royal stage is Camilia O’Grady, as Sally the Seagull. Camilia previously starred in the 2021 Christmas pantomime, Beauty and the Beast as well as last year’s Easter production, The Wizard of Oz.

They will be joined by New Theatre Royal debutants Alex Singh as Sebbie The Crab, Patrick Péclard as Tanner the Turtle, and Daniel Grice as The Sea King.

After becoming an audience favourite as Toto in The Wizard of Oz — Pumpkin the Westie is back to perform in selected performances as Stella the Starfish.

Since being adopted from a rescue, Pumpkin has become a “poster-dog” for animals with disabilities and is the face of the Pumpkin and Friends charity.

The theatre’s artistic director and the producer, writer, and director, of the Easter production, Natalie Hayes-Cowley, said: “We are always looking for new ways to wow audiences, so we thought it would be fun to bring an underwater spectacle to the stage.

“We have a whopping 25 local, young performers in our junior ensemble, along with our brilliant principle cast... it’s going to be busy backstage.

“We are also thrilled to welcome Pumpkin back to the New Theatre Royal stage as Stella the Starfish. Not only does she steal the show, she also captures the hearts of all who meet her.

“It’s an honour to play a small part in helping promote all the good work that Pumpkin and her charity do for other animals.

“The Adventures of The Little Mermaid, which is a prequel to The Little Mermaid, is one of our In-House Productions. These are vital to the survival of Lincoln’s treasured theatre because the venue keeps the ticket revenue raised, which is then re-invested, opposed to touring productions where the theatre only sees between 15% to 20% of ticket sales. So, to anyone who does buy a ticket, we just want to say a huge thank you, their purchase contributes to keeping the theatre’s doors open.

“This colourful, family show has something for everyone. Outstanding vocals, comical characters and beautiful choreography, all showcased within a revolving set. We can’t wait for audiences to see it.”