THERE’S nothing really unfortunate about this musical parody by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx. Unfortunate by name and fortunate by design to be a big, bold brash and bawdy but warmhearted campfest of a show.

To give it its full title it’s ‘Unfortunate the Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch’.

Ursula was the dyke-quiffed baddie witch-fish in Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ and that’s the story Grant and Foxx have oh so cleverly parodied.

The last time this show came to the Hippodrome it was just starting out as a small scale workshop in the Patrick Centre studio – now like all the musicals that are set to endure, it has grown legs and a fills a huge wall–to-wall set in the main house.

Robyn Grant directs his own show with an insight that only the writer could bring – he knows the tried and tested audience triggers and sets them to go off like a minefield of laughter. My one niggle is that it could do with 20 minutes of pruning but that, with a director directing his own script, is a big ask.

Shawna Hamic as Ursula hits the first trigger the minute she walks on the stage and doesn’t stop the frenzy till and actually beyond the walkdown. It‘s so nice to see such a huge talent unleashed in an unashamed non-stereotyped body for a female lead. Hamice has a sack full of acting skills and a singing voice to shatter a champagne glass at a thousand yards.

River Medway, a star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK makes a stunning look alike for the cartoon Ariel. Luckily Medway can also act and brings an engaging drollness to the role as well as being immensely charismatic

Thomas Lowe is magnetic job of Triton the sea god, drawing us in and boom booming the room with a voice of Pavorti power.

Allie Dart is totally engaging as Sebastian and Julian Capolei does a splendid double as Vanessa and Grimsby.

There are some great songs in the excellent score by Tim Gilvin – my favourites being ‘Sucking on You’ and ‘Where the D**ks are’. Four letter words come in torrents, double and treble innuendos abound – it’s absolutely filthy fun.