one4review | On 08, Aug 2025

Somewhere on a small, uninhabited beach off the coast of Florida, five female friends arrive to attend a retreat for chronic people pleasers. When they discover that their self-appointed wellness guru (who has more red flags than a semaphore convention) hasn’t arrived they’re left to their own devices to work through his enigmatic group exercises toward self-improvement. Also, they’re all mermaids. Maybe I should have led with that.

Tall Tails is a production from Red Kitchen Collective and is a delightful mix of fun, fins and female friendship. The characters are a dynamic group of mermaids giving various levels of 2000s hipster ditzy valley girl vibes portrayed brilliantly by a talented cast who give each one a unique personality. The show is absolutely filled to the gills with fish puns and funny asides and bits, many rushing past so fast you almost miss them. There’s an unusual sweetness to the story too in that there’s no major falling outs between characters, everyone is just getting on really nicely and supporting each other which gives the show a lovely cuddly atmosphere it was wonderful to be included in. And at a brisk 45 minutes, it doesn’t outstay its welcome.

On the technical side, there’s a level of sheer professionalism and attention to detail rarely seen in a production this size. Most notable are the costumes which, with no exaggeration, are West End level. Each mermaid’s outfit is a uniquely tailored and fabulous eclectic mix of sparkly colours and nautical theming. It isn’t just thought that’s been put into these – it’s weeks of time and effort. The same is true of the scripting, direction, props, everything polished to perfection like seaglass.

Something of an impulse watch for me, Tall Tails exceeded all my expectations and honestly made my day. Definitely recommended for anyone with a higher than average tolerance for fish puns (otherwise you might find them shrimply too much).
*****

Reviewed by Tom

The Space @ Surgeon’s Hall

19.45 (45 mins)

Until 9 Aug