Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch at The Other Palace puts the spotlight on one of animation’s most notorious villains in a wickedly funny, pop-fuelled musical parody that gives Ursula octopus tentacles and all her own subversive origin story. Written by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx with music by Tim Gilvin, and directed by Grant herself, this latest incarnation of the show features an all-new set, costumes, jokes and characters as it retells The Little Mermaid from the perspective of its plus-size, queer icon with trademark filthy humour and a hot pop soundtrack. It’s bold, bawdy, and gleefully un-Disney-like.
The curtain rises with a blaring pop number and Ursula (played with devilish flair by Sam Buttery) splayed centre stage, tentacles sprawled across the floor like she’s marking her territory. That first burst of energy synth beat, glitter rain and full-throated vocals immediately sets the tone: this isn’t a cosy reunion with a childhood tale, it’s a party with attitude.
What Unfortunate does most effectively is lean into the absurdity of its world while still letting its central character’s confidence and vulnerability shine. When Ursula pauses mid-song to deliver a sassy aside — “I didn’t choose villainy, villainy chose me!” — the line lands with a riot of laughs because it’s backed by all-out choreography and a musical arrangement that refuses to take itself seriously.
The ensemble cast brings lively character work to familiar faces reimagined with fresh humour and outrageous flair. Allie Dart’s Sebastian pops with enthusiastic energy, while Blair Robertson’s King Triton leans into regal absurdity that becomes funnier the longer it lingers on his exaggerated gestures. Small details like a glittering sea-castle backdrop that looks more cocktail lounge than oceanic kingdom add to the show’s gleeful send-up of fairy-tale tropes.
Design elements from Jasmine Swan’s flamboyant costumes to Adam King’s dynamic lighting punch up every scene without ever feeling like spectacle for spectacle’s sake. In quieter moments between numbers, the lighting softens to spotlight moments of self-acceptance or bracing honesty, letting you catch a glimpse of who Ursula might be beneath the bigger-than-life persona.
Unfortunate succeeds because it makes you feel the joy of its own audacity. With an original pop soundtrack that keeps your head nodding, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that keep your grin wide, and performances that lean into every beat with unshakable commitment, it offers a night out that’s as fun as it is defiantly unfiltered, just the way its sea-witch heroine would want it.
