The reviews for new, queer, hit musical ‘Unfortunate – The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch‘ have been extraordinary since it opened at Southwark Playhouse in January.
Now on tour, and with Oxford Playhouse up next, the hype surrounding the comic, camp show has been building to epic proportions.
And lead Shawna Hamic, who plays the misunderstood queer icon, is loving every minute. “As soon as I read the script I knew I wanted to be part of it,” the New Yorker says.
“To have the lead role, my first, as an over-sized woman on stage felt hugely empowering, and it is such a funny show, so yes it is a challenge but a very exciting one. And I want to be the best I can be and really put my stamp on it,” Shawna says.
‘i want to empower people to be proud of who they are, because big girls are often overlooked and body size has nothing to do with talent’
“I want to show how powerful and strong we can be, regardless of size, and to empower people to be proud of who they are, because big girls are often overlooked, and body size has nothing to do with talent!”
“Different genres, sexualities and body sizes is not a new phenomenon, it has been going on for the entirety of human existence. But more than that Unfortunate – The Untold Story Of Ursula The Sea Witch is also a great story about humanity, love and the fluidity of life – it’s about the freedom to be who you are.”
So does Shawna feel pioneering? “People of size seems to have become an accepted discriminatation and I have certainly experienced that. I have been told that I would never be successful, called fat and trolled, but it’s who I am, even if I have been bullied and teased about it for my whole life. So while there have always been parts for the funny, fat friend, I hope this helps to prove that the tide is turning.”
‘I was trolled by people telling me I should kill myself, but they were confused by my lack of response because I wouldn’t let it stop me’
Was that the case in Netflix hit Orange is the New Black? “A lot of the comments were very negative because I was one of the first fat women on TV, and I was trolled by people telling me I should kill myself, but they were also confused by my lack of response because I wouldn’t let it stop me. And for every venomous comment, there were so many more from people saying they finally felt represented and heard which meant so much.
“And besides, this is what I do, this is my passion, I can’t do anything else. It’s what I did when I was younger to escape from my life and pretend to be someone else, because I was so badly bullied at high school that I spent most of my time in an off limits area to get away from them.
“So when I decided to become an actress and singer, even though I knew it would be hard, nothing could be worse than what I’d already been through, so it made me stronger and even more determined to succeed,” she remembers. “And look where I am now, travelling around a foreign country in this incredible musical. So it’s never been an easy path, but I put all my energy into the parts I play and try to be a force for good.”
‘do not bring your children because it is definitely an adult musical, but the audience is in for a great ride’
It means however that the American musical theatre, comedy and TV star has relocated here for the duration, and is loving the experience: “I can’t wait to come to Oxford. I’ve heard it’s so beautiful,” she says.
In terms of the plot, her character Ursula, best known as the evil character from Disney’s Little Mermaid, is seen here in a completely different light, the musical re-examining her past:
“It’s gone down so well, people coming to see it again and again. So whether it goes down well in Oxford remains to be seen, and do not bring your children because it is definitely an adult musical, but either way the audience is in for a great ride.”
UNFORTUNATE – THE UNTOLD STORY OF URSULA THE SEA WITCH is at Oxford playhouse from Tuesday April 23 – Sat 27. Book at https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/unfortunate-the-untold-story-of-ursula-the-sea-witch
