FreshFringe 2026 Reviews - Eleanor Morton: The Mermaid

Eleanor Morton is no stranger to inviting us into her own comedic world, and, for the whole hour I spend in Cab Vol, it’s a pleasure to be there. From the moment we enter the room we get a perfect preview of what we are in for. Morton truly seems to be living her dream as a mermaid, basking on a rock in a resplendent sequinned fishtail costume. Even her technician is dressed as a fisherman, having reeled in a packet of McCoy’s crisps.

The Mermaid is Morton’s chance to accomplish her childhood goal of becoming a mermaid, despite her inability to swim and general disdain for the sea. Along the way, she takes us into her mind in an hour of musings on history, mythology, femininity, reproductive health, sex, and (of course) salt and vinegar crisps. These topics may seem mismatched upon first glance, but Morton handles them with ease. She is a gifted worldbuilder - it feels as though you are somewhere between an idyllic lagoon, a history documentary, and a childhood sleepover with your deranged cousin, which somehow together beautifully capture the show’s essence. Content-wise, the show is replete with multi-part punchlines, delivered with the assurance of a history presenter and the nostalgic familiarity of a close friend or relative. The cultural references are distinctly Scottish, which is both refreshing for locals and indicative of a performer who feels right at home at the Fringe.

The sheer volume of subject matter Morton tackles leaves her at times prone to rambling. Despite my enjoyment I felt a little lost in the first half of the show, and struggled to distil The Mermaid’s, and, by extension, Morton’s, viewpoint on each issue and why it is relevant to her. Yet, somewhere in the fray, it all clicks, and the latter part of the show becomes much more confessional in tone, as she explores the near-mythological expectations of womanhood she has felt throughout her life. Morton is at her most vulnerable as she confronts both societally imposed beauty standards and her own health issues; even through the still-sharp jokes there is ample time for both her and the audience to come to terms with her experience. The mermaid costume, as well as the whole beginning of the show, are an attempt to escape from these things that so clearly haunt Morton, and still the audience cannot be anything but uplifted in the show’s hardest-hitting, yet bizarrely cathartic, final moments.

Overall, Morton strikes a near-perfect balance in The Mermaid of a show so whimsical, yet so true to herself. There is genuinely something in here for everyone: The Rest of Us enjoyers can appreciate Morton’s historical storytelling in action; fans of Craig the tour guide see Morton for who she is and wants to be, above any character; and those previously unfamiliar with Morton’s work get the incomparable experience of being welcomed into her world for the first time.

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Photo credit: Trudy Stade.

Review written by Charlotte Norton for FreshAir Radio.