Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo sends an anxious clownfish across an ocean after his son is scooped up by a diver and carried off. Marlin has spent Nemo's whole life keeping him within sight; now he has to cross open water to get him back, with a forgetful blue fish called Dory attached to him for the duration.

Nemo, meanwhile, lands in a fish tank among a crew of odd, long-institutionalised residents who have been plotting an escape for years. The two halves of the story run in parallel: a father learning to loosen his grip, a son learning he is far more capable than he has been allowed to be. Songs are by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, with a book by Lindsay Anderson, adapted from the 2003 animated film.

The sea here is made rather than simulated, with puppets, movement and light standing in for water, so the ocean is something the audience helps imagine. The comedy plays broad, the sentiment is earned rather than pushed, and Dory gets most of the best lines. It works for small children and gives the adults sitting with them plenty to enjoy.