Michelle Visage to Lead West End Premiere of Queer-Coded Little Mermaid Prequel ‘Sea Witch’

Michelle Visage has been announced as a leading cast member in the world premiere of Sea Witch, a new musical inspired by The Little Mermaid, set to debut at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 1 March 2026.

The production will receive two special performances only, billed as a major new British musical theatre event in the West End.

Sea Witch is described as a prequel reimagining the origins of one of the sea’s most feared villains, drawing on the world of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid while telling an original story focused on power, identity, and transformation.

Visage, best known globally as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race and for her advocacy within LGBTQ+ communities, will play Tante Hansa, an older sea witch figure who guides the young protagonist through a world where magic is outlawed.

The musical centres on Evie, a young witch forced to survive in a kingdom that fears and bans magic, positioning her as an outsider whose difference becomes both a risk and a source of strength.

Evie’s life changes when she meets Annemette, a mermaid “with a secret of her own, ” who has three days to win human love or disappear forever, pulling the two characters into a high-stakes entanglement of love, loss, and destiny.

According to show materials, their connection leads to “a reckoning that will reshape their futures forever, ” with the musical billed as “a powerful story of identity, sacrifice, and self-discovery” and promoted under the tagline “A myth reimagined. A villain reborn. ”

The announced cast for the two-performance premiere is notably star-studded.

Alongside Visage, the company includes Strictly Come Dancing winner and The Wanted singer Jay McGuiness as Iker, a prince character in the story.

Olivier Award nominee and original Six cast member Natalie Paris will play Evie, bringing established West End musical credentials to the lead role.

Mazz Murray, known for Mamma Mia! , appears as Queen Charlotte, while Olivier Award nominee Amy Di Bartolomeo plays Annemette and Moulin Rouge! The Musical performer Natalie Kassanga plays Malvina.

Choreography is by Dean Lee, noted in publicity as Janet Jackson’s lead choreographer, underlining the production’s intention to blend pop-influenced movement with large-scale musical storytelling.

Sea Witch is produced by Russell & Glover Theatrical & Pictures in association with major theatre producers the Nederlander Organization, The Shubert Organization, the John Gore Organization, and Willette Klausner, signalling ambitions beyond an isolated concert event.

In a statement, Visage said that “joining the production of Sea Witch fills my heart in ways I can barely put into words, ” describing the show as “powerful, fearless, and brimming with talent” and calling it “a dream” to stand on a London stage in a story this “daring and unapologetic. ”

Paris highlighted the rarity of originating a role in a brand-new musical, saying it is “really special to be able to create a role in a new musical” and that she “cannot wait to bring this magical show to life alongside an epic cast and team of creatives. ”

McGuiness described the project as “really exciting, ” particularly because it adapts “an amazing fantasy novel” for the stage, and said he is eager to get into the rehearsal room to see what the team builds together.

Coverage in LGBTQ+ outlet Attitude, which framed the casting as Visage “returning to the West End” in a bold new musical, underscores early interest from queer media in how Sea Witch might expand representation and speak to community experiences of otherness and empowerment.

Tickets for the two Theatre Royal Drury Lane performances are currently on sale through official channels, including the LW Theatres website associated with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatre group.