Theatre Royal Drury Lane was the lavish host of the greatly anticipated new musical Sea Witch. The production summoned a diverse and effervescent crowd – conjuring up industry veterans, musical aficionados, and superfans of Michelle Visage (RuPaul’s Drag Race).
Sea Witch is a theatrical adaptation of Sarah Henning’s book of the same name, conceived by the creative trio Kristopher Russell, Michael David Glover, and Segun Fawole. The musical spans different genres and, in spirit, is akin to heavy-hitting musicals Hamilton and Wicked -but with a dash of Glee, a sprinkle of Beyoncé, and a splash of Las Vegas.
The set included a sparse, expansive stage, steps that ascended to an imposing Sea Witch sign, and impactful lighting by Joshie Harriette – which fulfilled the pop concert aesthetic.
Reframing a familiar fairy-tale villain (e.g., Ursula from The Little Mermaid), Sea Witch centres on Evie, a young woman burdened by grief, an outsider, and a sea witch forced to conform in a kingdom where magic is outlawed. Evie is repressed, self-doubting, and consumed with guilt over the drowning of her closest childhood friend, Anna.
In an environment where witches are burnt on bonfires, Evie has no friends, except the newly crowned King Nik. Enter the nefarious Annemette, who befriends Evie and seeks her help to end a fatal curse. The friendship marks a pivotal turning point in the arc of Evie’s relationship with herself. To survive the machinations of the conniving Malvina and resolute Queen Charlotte, Evie must find her power through sheer determination and self-belief.
Kudos to the ensemble of dancers and singers who worked extremely hard to embody the power ballad/commercial musical numbers. The music and lyrics by Fawole and the production/orchestration by Jeff Nang are stellar. These musical elements are the highlight of the show. The vocal talent on stage is unmatched and produced enthused cheers and fist-pumping from the audience. Standout vocalists Amy Di Bartolomeo (Annemette), Natalie Paris (Evie), and ensemble members Danny Bailey, Samuelle Durojaiye, and Robin Simoes Da Silva all deserve an honourable mention.
I greatly appreciate and admire that this production is a labour of love and was years in the making, but it would be remiss of me if I did not speak to some of the flaws of the production. Sea Witch suffers from surface-level storytelling and clunky direction between songs. The transitions felt uneventful at times, lacking in emotional depth and intention—a rushed segue to get to the next impressive number. The costumes were promising but not cohesive and inconsistent in quality. The huge stage can demand the choreographic element to work in overdrive. However, this led to an overuse of ‘backing dancing.’ Albeit well-conceived and executed, there was room for more considered movement/staging, which would support the storytelling further and portray the landscape of the world Sea Witch inhabits.
I have a sense that this modern production could bring a new audience to theatre as it builds on musical devices depicted in & Juliet and Six the Musical. The central message I took away from Sea Witch was to find one’s internal magic—the power that forges resilience, shapes identity, and fuels self-love. The curtain call was met with standing ovations, audible shrieks of praise, and a spellbound audience.
