Under the sea and into the spotlight : Young Pasifika takes the lead in ‘The Little Mermaid’

Pasifika talent will showcase in the National Youth Theatre (NYT) and Auckland Live's spectacular staging of Disney’s The Little Mermaid at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre.

The "fin-tastic" musical will highlight long-standing NYT members Jorja Panapa as the villainous sea witch, Ursula, and Tilly Tiafariu as the mermaid princess, Ariel.

Featuring a cast of over 250 youth, this splash-hit production is set to make serious waves.

For the young Pasifika stars leading the charge, the show represents more than a limited four-performance season.

Alongside nine-year-old cast member Faith Matalave, Panapa and Tiafariu told Pacific Days how it is about visibility, community, and breaking barriers.

Panapa acknowledges NYT’s commitment to supporting young aspiring thespians with programme costs through scholarships.

Both Panapa and Faith are Scholarship to NYT recipients and Panapa says having that support opens doors for communities and families.

“A lot of the time we can look at what we currently can do and limit ourselves to just that when we should be expanding to what we could do," Panapa says.

“The resources are all available on the website, as me and Faith got involved with this...It makes something that seems so far away so much closer, and it brings so much more accessibility to our communities as well."

Watch Tilly Tiafariu, Jorja Panapa, and Faith Matalave's full interview below.

The message of self-belief is echoed by Matalave, who is performing in the fish band.

"Don't think that you're not good enough, because of course you're good enough for anything and whatever you want to do," Matalave says. "Chase your dream until you succeed."

The trio say that bringing this hauntingly beautiful love story to life on stage comes with immense creative pressure.

The young cast are preparing to execute some of the most celebrated, Oscar-winning music in animated-cinema history with renditions of Alan Menken's iconic soundtrack.

Tiafariu admits that stepping into the shoes of a Disney princess requires tacking on huge audience expectations.

“I'd say so for the hardest song to get right, I think probably Part of Your World,” Tiafariu says. “Definitely because it's so widely anticipated. It's a big song, everybody knows it, everybody's got really high expectations.”

Panapa and Tiafariu both praise the production's spectacular wardrobe, highlighting the glamorous ball gowns designed for their respective characters.

The girls say that it is ultimately the mix of raw talent, high-stakes determination, and community pride that makes NYT’s The Little Mermaid a must-see.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid runs for a strictly limited season from 26 - 28 June at the Auckland’s Aotea Centre. Tickets are available here.