Brisbane Arts Theatre will step into the magical world of Disney next month to bring to life the musical tale of 'The Little Mermaid'.
The Hans Christian Andersen classic follows beautiful young mermaid Ariel, who longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula, and convince Prince Eric that she’s the girl with the enchanting voice.
Playing Ursula in the production, Natalie Murtagh is swimming into character by detailing her top 5 Disney villains:Maleficent, 'Sleeping Beauty'
This lady has some inner-rage issues going on! Don't invite this lady to one little party and BAM! All hell breaks loose. She also works horns like no other lady.
Jafar, 'Aladdin'
Ok, ok, so he wants to be the Sultan and marry the princess and posses all the power and is happy to obtain it in any shady way possible, but come on, the guy is one snappy dresser! That whole serpent staff and matching parrot (Lago) combo really works for this villain! He is creepy, slimy and funny, all at the same time.
Scar, 'The Lion King'
This villain has class, he's got style, he has hyenas! This guy has it all, oh yeah, except for being ruler of the Pride Lands, which in one foul swoop he obtains by dispatching Mufusa, and blaming Simba. This lion is one mean kitty, but he does love a good sing-along (I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dideledee dideledee).
Hades, 'Hercules'
This smarmy villain is already king of the Underworld, but apparently that doesn't seem to be enough for him and he's dying to get out (sorry for the pun). Hades never likes to do his own dirty work and uses his minions to attend to his many schemes, but sometimes he should have just done the job himself. He is witty, yet always seems to just be teetering on the edge psychopathy. And you gotta love any bad guy that gets so angry he blows his own hair out.
Ursula, 'The Little Mermaid'
I will admit to being slightly biased with this one, as the squeals of delight that came out of my mouth when I found out I was getting to play this amazing lady could be heard down the street. She's got sass, she's got style, she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go and get it. She also knows how to work that body language!
'Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr' plays Brisbane Arts Theatre, 4 April – 30 May. 
