Review: 101 Dalmatians the Musical (Eventim Apollo)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️

Dodie Smith’s 101 Dalmatians is a bona fide classic, with the villainous Cruella De Vil an instantly recognisable figure. With that in mind, the Regent’s Park premiere of this musical adaptation, the second in barely more than a decade, seemed a no-brainer, and after a UK tour last year the show has settled into Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo for a six-week-only engagement. With new stars and the same spots, will this latest run be best in show, or just the dogs’ dinner?

The show begins with a single dog, abandoned in the street. Not to worry though, as Pongo soon finds a home with kindly kennel worker Danielle, and soon enough orchestrates a meeting with respective partners Tom and Perdi. Of course, it's not long before the Haus of De Vil comes knocking for fashion designer Tom’s sketches… and the hot new print Cruella can't resist, with the expected villainy and daring escapes soon to follow.

An unfortunate but understandable loss from the initial run in Regent’s Park is the staging itself, in which the entire stage became a title display, with letters shifted and rotated to reveal new sets and locations. As the ceiling itself acts as an obstruction here, I won't fault David Woodhead for being unable to recreate that two-levelled set within an indoor venue, but will say that he uses the space to solid effect. Simple rolling panels create the family flat, while there are some truly striking scenes in both Cruella’s Haus and her villainous lair.

The famous names attached this time around run the gamut from TV presenter to boyband member, to talent chow champion, with Jeff Brazier, Aston Merrygold and Sydnie Christmas making up our villainous trio. As De Vil nephews Casper and Jasper, Brazier and Merrygold make a decent comedy duo, having a lot of fun with the more physical aspects of the role (though tragically with no backflips from Merrygold) and largely landing their goofy, deliberately hokey wordplay. To the famously frightening fashionista, Christmas brings a strong, characterful belt and a scenery-chewing knack for excess – this Cruella isn't the most distinct or unique character, but Christmas revels in the sadistic edges.

Linford Johnson and Emma Thornett (as Pongo and Perdi) are in fine voice, as are Samuel Thomas and Laura Baldwin (their human “pets”). The first act allows show shining moments for both pairs, while the second’s diversion into new leads in the form of a trio of escapee puppies leaves them less fleshed out in the second. The entire ensemble perform well, hitting sweet harmonies and doing stellar work with the many canine puppets, ensuring that despite sometimes under-explored characters, the world of 101 Dalmatians is never lacking for something to draw your attention.

The chief issue with the script is that, much like after my visit to Regent’s Park, I can't be sure who among the audience of all ages this show is geared towards. Cruella’s threats grow more genuinely horrific towards the end of the show, and jokes children would never understand fly thick and fast at times. Musical number “What The Bleep Was That?” is a strong example of this tonal confusion – the joke at the expense of censorship not seeming to land with any age group, reflecting how the production seems uncertain on whether to aim its humour at youthful audiences or shoot for the adults' brains while dazzling the little ones with puppetry.

Douglas Hodge’s songs are enjoyable if instantly forgettable – “love is a four legged word” is the only lyric I came away firmly remembering. No one but Christmas is given much to do in terms of vocal gymnastics, but in a way that suits the wildness of Cruella’s over the top persona. One point I must make to the production's credit is director Bill Buckhurst’s acknowledgment of the sheer scale of the Hammersmith venue, having moments performed in the aisles expand up to the circle to include more of the crowd, as well as helping greatly in setting the scale of the search for the kidnapped puppies.

Unclear on who the show is for, I find myself at a loss as to how it ought to be critiqued. Every time I stop myself to say, “Well it's for children,” I remind myself that there are clear and constant efforts to appeal to adults. Whenever I say, “Well the kids aren't supposed to understand that,” I question why a children’s story wouldn’t aim for constant youthful delight. There are touches of something fun and exciting here, but unfortunately they don’t quite come together.

101 Dalmatians the Musical plays at the Eventim Apollo until August 30th

For tickets and information visit https://www.eventimapollo.com/events/101-dalmatians/

Photos by Johan Persson