Sea Witch: A New Musical – Theatre Royal Drury Lane Review

Review by Clara
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review

Sea Witch’s world premiere at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane was a star-studded night of showstopping vocals, stunning choreography, and sumptuous costumes.

Natalie Paris, Djavan Van De Fliert and ensemble. Photo by Danny Kaan

The premise of this new musical can be summed up as follows: Sea Witch is to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid what Wicked is to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. While Wicked’s dominant colours are green and pink, Sea Witch’s dominant colour is undoubtedly blue.

We are introduced to the kingdom of Havnestad as they mourn the loss of their king in a storm and celebrate the coronation of young King Niklas (Djavan van de Fliert). Guards swirl in blue capes as Havnestad puts on a show of strength in the rhythmic song “The Coronation”. 

To the protagonist Evie (Natalie Paris), King Niklas is simply Nik, her “one true friend”. We meet Nik’s strict, emotionally-controlled mother Queen Charlotte (Mazz Murray), as well as potential future queen and Evie’s bully Malvina (Natalie Kassanga).

This is the world of Sarah Henning’s young adult novel Sea Witch, with Havnestad essentially being Hans Christian Andersen’s native Denmark by another name. Rather than drawing from Nordic folk music or nautical influences, the musical leans towards pop-rock with a hearty helping of synths.

Though Evie is close to King Nik, she is treated poorly by Queen Charlotte and Malvina, and she is told to remember her place. She also keeps a dangerous secret – she has magical abilities in a kingdom where witches are hunted down and burned. We get a sense of Evie’s latent magic in “Tidal Wave”, a song about identity and self-discovery.

Michelle Visage and ensemble in Sea Witch. Photo by Danny Kaan

The atmosphere shifts away from Evie’s introspection to Malvina’s high-energy solo, “My World”. The lights turn pink and I’m reminded of the character Regina George in the film Mean Girls. Natalie Kassanga handles the pitch transitions effortlessly, winning an enthusiastic response from the audience. 
Next, Evie happens upon Annemette (Amy Di Bartolomeo), who reminds her of a long-lost friend. Annemette has a big favour to ask of Evie, which drives much of Act Two of the musical. Nik isn’t the only royal who has a soft spot for Evie – Nik’s cousin Prince Iker (Jay McGuiness of ‘The Wanted’ fame) romances Evie in “Where We’ve Not Been Before”. Evie confides in Tante Hansa (Michelle Visage of RuPaul’s Drag Race), one of the few characters who is firmly in Evie’s corner, who – with wisdom born of experience – advises caution when it comes to Annemette.

If all this sounds fast-paced, that certainly echoes my experience watching this staged concert. Distinct from a full production of a musical, the focus of a staged concert is on the songs. It’s possible that a full production would allow more running time to strengthen the narrative setup and linkages, such that climactic high points in the songs are better supported. As an example, Evie and Iker’s story is underdeveloped, such that the eventual narrative payoff feels unearned.

For me, some of the most interesting songs and plot developments were in Act Two. I enjoyed the solo segments which gave ensemble singers opportunities to shine, such as in the quintet “Q.U.E.E.N.” The song, about competing to be King Nik’s queen consort in pursuit of power, is led by Natalie Kassanga and reminiscent of the “take no prisoners” attitude of Six The Musical. Also memorable were Danny Bailey’s turn as Ruler of the Sea, and Robin Simões da Silva’s resonant voice.

My favourite performance in Sea Witch is Mazz Murray’s “Greater Than Love”, Queen Charlotte’s solo about prioritising duty and self-sacrifice over personal desires. Though a stiff antagonist in much of the musical, Mazz Murray won the audience over with her powerful belting – a true queen. She was rewarded with a highly-unusual mid-show standing ovation.

Another notable feature of Sea Witch is the effective portrayal of characters’ inner turmoil, such as Nik’s pressure to choose a queen consort in “Until the End of Time”, and Annemette’s pain and panic in “They Won’t Forget Me Now”, which ends in a scream of rage.

Those who enjoy the aesthetics of Beauxbatons in the Harry Potter films or the stylish choreography in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child are likely to appreciate Dean Lee’s outstanding choreography. The dance choreography worked synergistically with sumptuous-looking costumes by Kristopher Russell (Costume Artistic Director) and Gail Gifford (Costume Build). Though the bright spotlights shining directly into the audience were initially off-putting, Joshie Harriette’s lighting design won me over with lights that danced to the music, hypnotic and mesmerising.

Jay McGuiness and Natalie Paris in Sea Witch. Photo by Danny Kaan

From cast to costumes to choreography, the high production values of Sea Witch are evident. Where it shines is in story-specific songs, which have greater emotional resonance. I found some of the songs in Act One, such as “There’s A Light” and “Every Woman”, comparatively weaker because they feel like generic pop songs. This had the unfortunate effect that the protagonist Evie’s character felt a little flat compared to other characters, including her nemesis Malvina.

In a story that adds nuance to the supposed villain of The Little Mermaid, the villains of Sea Witch stole the show.

⭐⭐⭐½

‘Sea Witch: A New Musical’ was a one-night-only event at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London on Sunday, 1 March 2026.

‘Sea Witch’ is on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/seawitchmusical 

Details of upcoming productions at Theatre Royal Drury Lane are available at: https://lwtheatres.co.uk/theatres/theatre-royal-drury-lane/