Cornwall

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8142-1000x667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-36676" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8142-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8142-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8142-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8142.jpg 1499w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Rowena Cade built The Minack Theatre into the cliffs above Porthcurno on the south coast of Cornwall in the 1930s largely by hand. It&#8217;s a magnificent work of art and makes a glorious place to introduce your children to theatre.



With the sea behind the stage, the waves and the fishing boats passing, and the birds wheeling overhead in the sunshine, it is a fitting location for a re-telling of the Cornish legend, the <a href="https://www.minack.com/whats-on/mermaid-zennor">Mermaid of Zennor</a>. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8118-1000x667.jpg" alt="Porthcurno beach from the minack theatre Cornwall" class="wp-image-36677" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8118-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8118-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8118-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-imageIMG_8118.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



A Cornish folk story as old as time, the Mermaid of Zennor tells the story of a lonely parishioner, Mathey Trewella, and a mysterious visit from a mermaid to St Senara&#8217;s Church in Zennor, after which neither of them were seen again. It&#8217;s a legend that is told time and time again, from children&#8217;s books to the visitors to the church where Mathey&#8217;s carvings can still be seen on the bench ends.



A school visit to Zennor church has turned into chaos, as children and teacher are recruited by a mischievous spirit. What follows is bursting with magic, mystery and mayhem as they all work together to recreate the story of Mathey Trewella and his love for a mermaid. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-image-1000x667.jpg" alt="stage at The Minack Theatre Cornwall for the Mermaid of Zennor" class="wp-image-36679" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-image-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-image-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/04/Minack-April-2025-Muddy-Stilettos-Cornwall-RB-image.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



This Minack Theatre version is squarely aimed at a younger audience, not least as it features mainly a cast of the Minack Youth Theatre, with a 4pm stage time and 70 minutes run. It&#8217;s been re-told and re-set by John Brolly, with music by Ben Sutcliffe. The cast of young actors play most of the parts, seamlessly shifting between their roles as modern and ancient characters, with two adult actors playing the school teacher, the vicar and then the mermaid and Mathey Trewella. We found it captivating and compelling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT </h2>



Even just getting ready to watch is part of the performance &#8211; you don&#8217;t know where you might end up seated and every bit of this amazing theatre is slightly different and a real joy. My kids loved this performance of the well-loved tale, and it was a pleasure to sit back and enjoy their enjoyment. The children on stage were excellent &#8211; and deal with the occasional forgotten line very professionally. The staging and costumes are simple but really effective, and the singing brilliantly performed. 



Good for: Everyone and their grandma, including and particularly families after something very Cornish &#8211; either for the school holidays, or for visitors. Parts of the script are even in Kernowek, performed by the excellent little girl who plays the mischievous spirit of Zennor.



Not for: It is a musical, with a cast mainly of children, so there is a little of the (extremely professional) school play about some parts. Definitely aimed at a family audience, so if you&#8217;re into more serious productions, or have older teens, the evening performances of <a href="https://www.minack.com/whats-on/dracula-vampyr">Dracula, the Vampyr </a>might be more up your street.



The Mermaid of Zennor is on until 20 April 2025, performances at 4pm. Tickets from £10, u15s half price.



Sidenote: The Minack Theatre is also one of <a href="https://www.minack.com/visit-us/minack-theatre-garden">Cornwall&#8217;s Great Gardens</a>. It is a beautiful subtropical cliffside paradise full of succulents and palms. Access the beach sandy beach at Porthcurno down the very steep steps to the side of the garden, where you&#8217;ll also find <a href="https://pkporthcurno.com/">PK Porthcurno</a>, the museum of global communications. Porthcurno is where the very first undersea telegraph cable came ashore in 1870. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-muddy-tips-for-a-visit-to-the-minack">MUDDY TIPS FOR A VISIT TO THE MINACK</h2>



The seats are stone and concrete, carved into the cliff, and vary in size and height. You may get lucky and be at the front, or in one of the little balcony boxes. Either way, bring a cushion to sit on! The positioning of the theatre acts as a sun trap so you may want a hat, and you&#8217;ll probably want a blanket even in the Easter sunshine, or a coat. Performances go ahead even when it rains, so a waterproof coat is ideal. There are lots of steps, so pack away your stilettos for this one. Parking opens 90 minutes before the performance, and the theatre 60 minutes, and you can bring your own picnic for the wait, which is worth it for the best seats! 



<a href="https://www.minack.com/">The Minack Theatre</a>, Porthcurno, Penzance, Cornwall, TR19 6JU

Review: Mermaid of Zennor, The Minack, Cornwall

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