Review: Mrs Doubtfire The Musical (Birmingham Hippodrome/ UK & Ireland Tour)

Review by Raphael Kohn

⭐️⭐️⭐️

In a time when it feels like every iconic comedy-drama film from the 1990s and 2000s is being made into snazzy musicals, Mrs Doubtfire is here to… well, not buck the trend, but rather carry it on exactly as it is going. After a Broadway stint in 2021, and a West End debut in 2023, it was simply a matter of time before the stage adaptation made its way on tour to bring the classic movie to life in theatres across the UK and Ireland. But after mixed reviews across the pond and in the capital, could third time be the charm for Mrs Doubtfire The Musical?

It is, undoubtedly, created to be a crowd-pleaser, through and through. The source material is largely left unchanged, save for some modern-day technological upgrades and references, with jibes aimed at FIFA, Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, and many more who recently made the news. But beyond a few tweaks and trims, there’s not much in the way of edits to be found here, leaving much of the story intact. Scene by scene, Mrs Doubtfire The Musical re-tells the story of Daniel Hillard, a freelance voice actor who disguises himself as a nanny in order to spend time with his children after his wife divorces him.

So instead of creating a new version of the tale, writers Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell plonk music into a beat-by-beat rendition of the famous and infinitely meme-able moments that gave the film immortality. That’s not to say it’s a bad approach. After all, the film’s greatest fans will have a field day seeing their favourite moments re-enacted afresh by a live cast, enjoyed in a room of thousands of others just like them. But in their adaptation, Kirkpatrick and O’Farrell have created such a carbon copy of the film that it doesn’t quite feel like its own work of art, almost closer to a tribute to the film than a musical that stands on its own legs.

Where it does deviate from the film, it sometimes succeeds but sometimes falters. By slotting in a full album of music into the script, time gets taken away from the show to explore its characters. Unfortunately that’s largely to the show’s detriment, as Kirkpatrick and O’Farrell’s script subtracts character development from the protagonists, leaving quite a number of them unexplored. Luckily, they at least keep the most rock-solid one-liners and iconic scenes intact, which have just as much crowd-pleasing potential as they first did over 30 years ago. There’s no shortage of slapstick moments, some of which are directly lifted from the film, but they’re just as funny onstage and make for a brilliantly funny evening.

Tasked with shaping the film into the play is director Jerry Zaks, who goes all-in on chaos and silliness. Zaks keeps the pace fast and the laughs frequent, which is joyous to witness, although it leaves the more heartfelt moments struggling to connect at times. In true Broadway spectacle form, Zaks’ punchy production goes all-in on production values, with Lorin Latarro’s jazzy and dynamic choreography on David Korins’ versatile sets bringing Mrs Doubtfire to life in style. Together, it all feels suitably glitzy for the stages it graces.

All new musicals must have one thing honed to perfection though: the music. After all, when that’s the main change from the screen to the stage, that should be the unique selling point to bring a whole new audience to see the show. But unfortunately this is where Mrs Doubtfire falls down, with a pop-rock score (courtesy of Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick) that feels sadly forgettable a lot of the time. None of the music is bad, per se; it’s all pleasant enough and serves the plot suitably, but it’s hardly something to listen back to after the curtain falls.

But there is one ace hidden up Mrs Doubtfire’s sleeves, and that is the tremendous central performance by Gabriel Vick as Daniel Hillard (and, by extension, Mrs Doubtfire herself). It’s not unfair to say that the musical largely serves as a vehicle for him to show off his talents, but in fairness, he has a rather incredible array of talents to show off. His spectacular versatility with accents and voices has to be heard to be believed, while his comedic timing is top-notch. Vick is not only a comedic powerhouse though; he manages to make the slower moments of the show feel heartfelt and genuine with a softer, more vulnerable side too, in a commanding central performance that is everything you could hope for from a leading man.

Though the book sometimes sidelines them, the supporting cast get their shining moments. Particularly impressive is Aaliya Mal as Lydia Hillard, the teenage daughter of the Hillards, with a confident air hiding her insecurities and a tremendous voice to soar through her songs. True comic relief comes from Jarius McClanahan and Ryan Pidgen as Andre and Frank respectively, as they bumble their way through creating Mrs Doubtfire’s makeup looks and trying to keep her secrets. It’s pretty hard not to laugh at their camp and witty mayhem on stage.

There will, at least, be audience upon audience across the nation grinning at the iconic moments that gave the film its legendary status. And if all you want from a night out is to see those very moments re-enacted in a musical, then Mrs Doubtfire The Musical will certainly be up your street. I only wish it was just a little bit more refined, a little bit more creatively made, and with just a bit of flair that would really set it apart from its source material, rather than the slightly bland result that we have instead.

Mrs Doubtfire The Musical plays at Birmingham Hippodrome until 19th September, and tours until September 2027. Tickets for all dates from https://www.mrsdoubtfiremusical.co.uk/ 

Photos by Matt Crockett