Samuel Thomas, Aston Merrygold, Sydnie Christmas and Jeff Brazier in 101 Dalmatians at the Eventim Apollo, London. Picture: Johan Persson
101 Dalmatians The Musical continues at the Eventim Apollo, London until 30 August 2025.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Getting live puppetry just right on a large stage is a difficult, complex art and while it is doubtful whether the iconic, but cavernous Eventim Apollo is the right venue for this show, this latest stage version of the celluloid 1961 Disney classic, 101 Dalmatians, it is nevertheless thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. It certainly knocks spots off the original production I saw at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre back in 2022.
With music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge and book by Johnny McKnight, based on the original 1956 novel by Dodie Smith, adapted for the stage by Zinnie Harris, its two key factors for success are the quality of the puppetry and performance of lead nasty, fashionista Cruella de Vil.
On both, Bill Buckhurst’s production gets it just about right. In the role of de Vil, Sydnie Christmas is marvellously overdramatic, making her superb entrance dressed in a gloriously gory giraffe-skinned outfit and oozing evil from every pore. That she has an impressive vocal range comes as no surprise, being a past winner of Britain’s Got Talent, and she has clearly fitted into a seasoned cast with some ease, the ensemble’s enthusiasm evident throughout. Given her fabulously OTT performance it’s a case of Christmas having come early for all the youngsters (and young minded) in the audience.
The opening number, ‘Take Me Home’, is a belter, Muppet Show-esque in musical energy and furry frivolity and surely there can be no finer comparison than that. It’s all impressive knockabout fare and, like all Disney creations, plays with just about every human emotion possible, from fear and trepidation through to fun, tears and laughter as we follow the exploits of the pooches and puppies in peril – Pongo (Linford Johnson) and Perdi (Emma Thornett) in the lead (sic) roles.
Making his stage debut is Jeff Brazier as Casper alongside stage brother Jasper, played by JLS’ Aston Merrygold, and they have a great comic camaraderie which belies their professional acting inexperience, their accident-prone, hapless roles as their auntie De Vil’s henchmen a fun comedy constant throughout.
With Laura Baldwin as Danielle and Samuel Thomas as Tom, the production has a solid, confident loved up couple as chief pet protectors and with a score that features a number of fine songs, to use a cliché, this really does have something for all ages.
One number, ‘Litterbugs’, is charmingly chaotic, puppies flying everywhere, while ‘I Can Smell Puppy,’ sees Christmas in magnificently monstrous musical mode. On occasions, this production is gory and almost gothic, then all sweet and fluffy and there’s a lot of emotional mileage to be wrung out of those creative extremes.
The puppets are the real stars here, of course and Jimmy Grimes, who designed them deserves much credit, as do all the puppeteers for breaking down the puppet/character illusion barrier with consummate ease.
This does have its disjointed moments, the narrative is a bit clunky at times and the storyline/score a little repetitive, but overall, this is a great night out – no strings attached!
Derek Smith
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.