101 Dalmatians The Musical is the ideal family Christmas and New Year entertainment!
Dodie Smith (author of Dear Octopus, recently revived at the Royal National Theatre) wrote the children’s novel on which it is based in 1956, when it was serialised in Women’s Day magazine as The Great Dog Robbery. Walt Disney quickly purchased the film rights for $25,000 and made it into one of the most successful of all animated films. The current stage version by Johnny McKnight was first seen at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2022. However, for the current tour, the show has been redesigned by David Woodhead and completely redirected by Bill Buckhurst, with much more effective, slightly larger-than-life puppets by War Horse associate puppet director Jimmy Grimes, using onstage humans who operate the puppets dressed in green and voice them as well. Although (spoiler alert) we never see all 101 Dalmatians on stage at any one time, we do see seventeen working ones, plus hordes of static dogs (or should that be a pack?), as well as some in the audience… The youthful cast do a great job in both moving the puppets – some have two at a time – as well as encouraging them to bark in different ways, talk and sing!! Several also have to voice cats later in the show which is even more impressive!!
The plot follows Pongo (Linford Johnson demonstrating great puppeteering skills) and Perdi (a lively Emma Thornett) who gives birth to a litter of fifteen Dalmatian puppies which are kidnapped by the wicked Cruella de Vil (a superb creation by Kerry Ellis) who wishes to make them into a fur coat for herself. This is very much an ensemble production as, apart from Ellis, everyone appears to multi-role. Particularly impressive are Charles Brunton as Casper, Danny Hendrix as Jasper and Jessie Elland as love-interest (such as it is in a story intended for children!) Danielle. Puppetry Captain Tom Norman must be given great credit for ensuring that the puppeteers totally successful in everything they do: one quickly forgets that the Dalmatians are puppets being controlled by actors.
Johnny McKnight sets the show in the 1950s with most items of scenery, designed by David Woodhead, trucked on and off stage by the cast so that the musical moves quickly forward. Bill Buckhurst’s direction is unfussy and ensures that the story is always easy to follow – even if we already know what will happen next! Lucy Hind’s choreography is effective without taking the focus away from the story itself. As for the music and lyrics, Douglas Hodge has provided some very pleasant apt songs, especially for Cruella de Vil, which Kerry Ellis puts over with aplomb, the most memorable being “Take Me Home”. The seven-piece band under Leigh Stanford Thompson is located in the pit and Chris Whybrow’s sound design is subtle so that although we can always hear those onstage, they are never over-amplified and the volume is never too loud, as is so often the case!
The almost-capacity audience at Theatre Royal Brighton clearly enjoyed 101 Dalmatians The Musical on opening night, and the children present appeared suitably entranced. Imaginative and hugely enjoyable – a refreshing antidote to pantomime! Recommended!
Review by John Groves
When fashionista Cruella de Vil plots to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, there’s trouble ahead for Pongo and Perdi and their litter of adorable, tail-wagging young pups.
Cast: Kerry Ellis (Cruella de Vil), Charles Brunton (Casper), Victoria Compson-Bradford (Swing), Ross Dorrington (Ensemble), Benjamin Durham (Ensemble), Jessie Elland (Danielle), Benedict Hastings (Ensemble), Danny Hendrix (Jasper), Linford Johnson (Pongo), Lottie Johnson (Ensemble), Rachel Lea-Gray (Ensemble), Tom Norman (Ensemble), Hugo Rolland (Ensemble), Lindo Shinda (Ensemble), Eugene Shire (Swing), Samuel Thomas (Tom), Emma Thornett (Perdi) and Jasmine Triadi (Ensemble).
Written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book)
Stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris, based on the original book by Dodie Smith
Director Bill Buckhurst
Set design David Woodhead
Costume design Sarah Mercadé
Choreography Lucy Hind
Musical supervision Alfonso Casado Trigo
Orchestration Jack Hopkins
Puppets design Jimmy Grimes
Lighting design James Whiteside
Sound design Chris Whybrow
Musical director Leigh Stanford Thompson
Casting director Lucy Casson
101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL
Book Tickets for Theatre Royal Brighton
17 December 2024 to 5 January 2025
