Preview

Little Mermaid

Egg theatre, until January 14

Aurora

Roper Rooms, until January 17

A CHRISTMAS theatre trip doesn't have to be all about pantomime: if you've got children too young to enjoy the razzmatazz or want them to experience something a little more sophisticated, this year’s egg Christmas shows at the Theatre Royal Bath bring the underwater adventures of a little mermaid and the magic of the Northern Lights to life.

Thousands of leagues deep beneath the sea, a shipwrecked 1950s cruise liner is the grand palace where five young mermaids live on the cusp of mermaidenhood. Unlike her sisters who are happy not to rock the boat, Morgan has an enquiring mind, a brave spirit and a niggling sense that she doesn’t fit in. When the troublemaking Aunt Celeste encourages Morgan to head above water, she surfaces in a 1980s yacht party on the English Riviera, the land she has always dreamed of, and must quickly find her feet … literally. With elements of both period drama and lively rom-com, Little Mermaid combines poignant undertones with fairytale magic, creating a hilarious and exciting family adventure, all set to a shimmering soundtrack of classic 80s pop.

This new version, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s much-loved story, has been adapted by award-winning playwright, Bea Roberts, who has included classic British folk stories like the Scottish selkie and the Cornish Mermaid of Zennor in her script, and is suitable for over-fives.

For younger ones, the Northern Lights are brought stunningly to life in Aurora.

Inspired by Inuit folklore and one of the world’s most magical natural phenomena, Aurora combines sound, light and vision to take you to a thrilling multisensory party far up in the night sky. Here the Sun is a young girl, carefree and lost in the joy of dance, while her brother, the Moon, down-to-earth and watchful, follows his sister around the North Pole, taking care that she doesn’t slip over the last horizon…

Tickets for both shows are on sale now at 01225 448844/823409 and www.theatreroyal.org.uk