The Light Princess badly needs a mission

There are many pleasures in The Light Princess, a new musical by Tori Amos. George MacDonald’s fairy story introduces us to a beautiful red-haired royal, Althea (Rosalie Craig), who has a mysterious resistance to gravity. After various tribulations she abandons life on dry land and becomes a mermaid. The show meets these technical challenges with some brilliance. Althea seems to float mysteriously across the stage in midair while being supported on the limbs of black-clad gymnasts. Later she moves to a lake, which is suggested by intricate layers of shimmering blue cloth. But despite the sumptuous and ingenious special effects, the show hasn’t a powerful enough storyline or sufficient character interest to become a hit. The engine-room is absent.

Compare it with three classic musicals: Oz, Twist and Superstar. In each of these the hero has a clearly defined mission. Dorothy must reach the Emerald City. Oliver must escape destitution. Jesus must embrace self-sacrifice. Once we know what the hero is after, we’re captivated by their journey and we stay captivated by it. But Althea has no purpose or motive. She wanders through a standard-issue fairy-tale world composed of lovely palaces, nasty goblins, an angry dad and a handsome prince. The baddies are a particular weakness here. Aside from her whimsical innocence, Althea has no engaging characteristics, and she doesn’t face an overwhelming ordeal that will lead to her transformation or redemption.

Early on she’s forced to marry a wicked consort, Mr Grey, who punctures her legs with calipers to make her stay grounded. But Mr Grey has no qualities. He’s just grey. Hair, clothes, ears, socks. Even his tongue is grey. And he says nothing at all. This makes him a very feeble opponent. As for the evil leg calipers, Althea just takes them off and opts for life as an amphibian.