Mermaid troupe does children’s tales swimmingly

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia has enchanted theatergoers around the world with its signature mix of eye-catching puppetry and staged children’s literature. The company’s latest touring show features a trio of beloved Leo Lionni stories: “Inch by Inch,” “Frederick” and “Swimmy.”

The large-scale production of Lionni’s tales features vivid colors, evocative sets and music, and whimsical critters manipulated by a small team of skillful puppeteers. In one story, a proud inch-worm can measure anything, even a robin’s tail, and a toucan’s beak; in another, Frederick, the mouse poet, cheers his hard-working fellow mice with his art; and in a wondrous underwater world, Swimmy, a tiny fish with a big heart, proves there’s strength in numbers.

The show is the company’s largest in its 35-year history, said longtime artistic director Jim Morrow, with “a cast of hundreds of little characters.” It was created from page to stage over two years, as are most Mermaid shows, to faithfully honor the author’s work, Morrow said.

“A child who knows and loves the character Swimmy, for example, can see him come to life. Part of our mission is to promote the joy of reading.” Morrow said, “and Lionni was a genius. He created all of these wonderful characters that resonate with children.”

--Lynne Heffley

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Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Samueli Theater, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. 7 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. (sign-interpreted show) and 1 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday. $14 and $19. (714) 556-2787, www.ocpac.org. Also April 21, Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, 24255 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. $10-$15. (310) 506-4522. www.pepperdine.edu/arts.