A bold reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen's tale of love, loss and desire, transported to a contemporary setting.



Beneath the ocean's waves there is no death or pain or separation. Above, the modern world is beset with war, poverty and desire.



On her sixteenth birthday, a mermaid rises up to the surface, leaving her childhood behind for ever when she falls in love with a mortal prince. She knows that she can no longer live at the bottom of the ocean - but must she destroy herself in order to be loved?



Polly Teale's Mermaid was first performed by Shared Experience and Nottingham Playhouse on a UK tour in 2015.