SEA WITCH - A NEW MUSICAL WORLD PREMIERE REVIEW | Robbie's Backstage Bants

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of being invited to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane to see the world premiere of Sea Witch, a new musical based on the novel by Sarah Henning.It puts a spin on the villain from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, a tale I know well and one which is very popular.

Sea Witch, created by Kristopher Russell and Michael David Glover, tells the story of Evie, a witch on land, whose life is changed after the loss of her friend. As her friend Nik rises to the throne as King, a new - yet familiar - face comes from the sea and alters the course of fate.It’s a spell-binding tale of witches, mermaids, and magic, with huge themes, high stakes, and a whole tidal wave full of drama!

This brand new musical had a lot of buzz around it, people were excited - and with a stacked cast, some lovely song teasers, and a story that is somewhat familiar to many, I am not surprised.

Natalie Paris (Evie), Djavan Van De Fliert (Nik) and the 'Sea Witch' Dance company

Sea Witch features songs written by Segun Fawole. I have absolutely no complaints about the quality of the songs within the show. It carries a contemporary pop style, which I found is a void that is really lacking within the musical theatre world, and therefore gives the show an air of uniqueness. Some of the songs didn’t really drive the story forward; others did, and there were plenty of moments for the performers to show off their talents throughout.As the show was mostly song, it felt a lot more like a concert - as you’d expect when a show says ‘Live in Concert’ on the branding - but this led to the story being a bit clumsy and hard to follow. I would suggest that, potentially, a few of the numbers be dropped from the show or altered to keep the story pushing on.

The book, in my opinion, let the show down. The scenes and scripted moments were very few and far between, and I think for this show to have a future life, this is where the most alterations would be needed. When there was a scene, it felt like it was somewhat of an afterthought that had been slotted in to move the story forward. This meant that relationships were left unexplained, and the opportunity for real melodramatic moments often didn’t happen. In addition, some of the characters just felt undeveloped and not as deep as I’d have liked.Obviously, this is the world premiere of Sea Witch, the musical, and I feel the show has a great deal of potential in itself, and once there is a set, this will also help to immerse the audience within the show, especially in moments like the shipwreck at the beginning and the underwater scenes.

Something I loved was the choreography. As the score was very stylised into a contemporary pop feel, the choreography by Dean Lee matched this beautifully. It was eye-catching and exciting - I don’t think I have seen choreography with the same intensity as this before, which I believe is why they had a company of dancers, as well as their singing ensemble of separate performers too.

The cast for the world premiere of Sea Witch was outstanding. Every performer gave their all, which really made the whole night more enjoyable.

Natalie Paris as Evie

Natalie Paris led the cast as ‘Evie’, the Witch who by the end of our story would be known as the ‘Sea Witch’. She brought a fantastic energy to the stage, playing the naivety and innocence of a youthful witch who had lost her friend. Evie was best friends with the soon-to-be King, Nik, who had once saved her life. Once she was the Sea Witch, she brought a calm, collected sense of power and truth. Paris’ vocals were beyond incredible; having seen her in two previous shows, I was very much looking forward to seeing what she would bring vocally to this. She delivered perfection and more in numbers such as ‘Tidal Wave’, which you can listen to here .

Amy Di Bartolomeo played Annemette. There is a lot more to this character than meets the eye, and to see that played extremely well was so good to watch. Not to mention Bartolomeo’s powerhouse vocals in numbers such as ‘They Won’t Forget Me Now’, which propelled such raw emotion. I was left with my jaw dropped.

Mazz Murray as Queen Charlotte

A standing ovation mid-show was awarded to West End legend, Mazz Murray - Though small, her role was powerful. Playing the Queen allowed Murray to give an absolutely captivating performance, and with her immense vocal talent had the audience on their feet at the end of her Act 2 number ‘Greater Than Love’.

Lovable and charming, Djavan Van De Fliert brought the new King Nik to the stage. His energy and charisma were a joy to watch and played well against Jay McGuiness’ calm, collected, and strong Iker.

The fabulous Michelle Visage had the opportunity to show off her vocals too. It was amazing to experience her stage presence and loved her interpretation of Tante Hansa.

Natalie Kassanga played Malvina, a character which acts as a bully towards Evie, making sure she is aware of the fact that her being a witch is not accepted within their village. Kassanga’s vocals were impeccable, and she brought a great deal of sass to the stage, including her number with the vocal ensemble at the top of Act 2, called ‘Q.U.E.E.N’, which heavily resembled SIX, except there was 5 of them…

Amy Di Bartelomeo as Annamette

The lighting design was certainly a performer in the show too. Designed by Joshie Harriette, it was the main dramatic element in the piece (as, of course, with this being a development stage concert, there was no set). This lighting, with the choreography and music, really did lead to many moments that felt like an arena concert.

I always like to find an upbeat talking point within my reviews, and I honestly do believe that Sea Witch the musical, could have a life beyond the Drury Lane concert. It would require a few edits, mainly with the book, but it could very much work out in the future for this musical.There were plenty of enjoyable songs and could be special if the story that is underlying was propelled to the forefront of the piece.

Overall, it was a very bold move to make a musical world premiere at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. I sincerely hope that, although the reviews may not have been what the creatives were expecting, they can help to guide Sea Witch the musical into further forms that will eventually give it the success that every person who has worked on this show deserves.

I personally feel that it is always tricky to review a musical in a development stage like this. I want to give it the construction it needs, whilst not slating a piece that needs work as it was still enjoyable. This is how I felt when writing my review for Sea Witch – A New Musical.

I do hope that after some further amendments, this returns bigger, bolder, and better!

Thank you to Bread and Butter PR for inviting us to see the world premiere of Sea Witch!

Did you see the show? Let me know what you thought of it at robbiesbackstagebants@gmail.com

2nd March 2026

Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants