Schoolmates Share the Stage Under the Sea

By Karen Lewis

What do a bossy crab and a frightened fish have in common? They are roles played by two friendly and fearless students from Robert Little Public School in Acton.

Brynn Swenarchuk and Olivia Doyle are set to impress audiences this May as Sebastian and Flounder in The Little Mermaid Jr. by Globe Productions Youth Company. The ten year olds are stepping into the spotlight for the first time having played in the Junior Ensemble for past Globe performances.

Brynn had her crab-like movements ready for the audition, but she worried about pulling off Sebastian’s trademark calypso sound. “My Jamaican accent is horrible!” she thought at the time. “I didn’t think I was going to get the part.” Not surprisingly, the production team saw Brynn’s great potential and she has worked hard since to perfect the accent.

Brynn’s knack for musical theatre was evident at a very young age. Her kindergarten teacher observed her singing around the classroom and encouraged her parents to foster her natural talent.

Olivia didn’t have to look further than family for her musical theatre inspiration. “I went to see a show that my Mom did (Music Man, Globe 2012). I thought it looked really fun, so I asked my Mom if I could audition for the Wizard of Oz,” she says.

Playing a skittish fish has been fun for Olivia. “Flounder is a really nervous character. He is very worried about Ariel because he doesn’t want her to get into trouble, which is tough because she is always getting into trouble,” she says.

Olivia especially likes the comedic aspects of The Little Mermaid Jr. “There are a lot of funny scenes. It will make people laugh.”

 “I think it will be a good experience for kids and adults,” adds Brynn. “A lot of different things go on in the play. It’s all happy, but there is some romance, too.”

The Little Mermaid Jr. is on stage at the John Elliot Theatre (JET) on May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10.

Globe Productions

Georgetown Globe Productions is a not-for-profit musical theatre group whose members live in Halton Hills and the surrounding areas.