Wednesday, 24 July 2024

101 Dalmatians

 Curve, Leicester

23rd July, 2024


I’m an animal lover


Disney’s 1961 animated film and the 1996 live action film adaptation of 101 Dalmatians were two of my favourites as a child. Anthropomorphic puppies and a genuinely terrifying villain amongst a chocolate box English setting made me go back to them time and time again. Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel has now been adapted into a musical by Douglas Hodge (Music & Lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (Book), itself adapted from Zinnie Harris’ stage play. First performed at the Open Air Theatre in 2022, the musical has been reimagined for a UK tour in a highly-spirited production directed by Bill Buckhurst. The puppies are still anthropomorphic (uncannily so), the setting is still cosy, and the villain is… well, maybe not genuinely terrifying but suitably camp.


It gets off to a promising start. After being abandoned, Dalmatian Pongo (Benedict Hastings at this performance) is taken to a dogs’ home where he’s adopted by employee Danielle (Jessie Elland, perfectly pitched). ‘Take Me Home’ is a fun number which embraces the fun of talking (and singing!) dogs and establishes their need for a pet human. Like the films, we see a parade of humans paired off with their canine counterparts: a chic fashionista with a poodle, an elderly widow with an older dog, and a tall biker paired with a yappy terrier. Later, on a walk in the park, there’s an excellent meet cute between Danielle and aspiring fashion designer Tom (Samuel Thomas) and his dog Perdi (Emma Thornett) involving bum sniffing and tangled leads.

 

Hodge’s music and lyrics are impressive in this opening section. He establishes setting, character and emotion in songs which appeal to a family audience. ‘Bury that Bone’, set in a cosy family living room, features some yearning melodies and nicely observed lyrics about the familial bond between humans and their furry friends. One of the best songs, reprised at the end, is ‘One Added Extra’ where the 15 puppies are born. But overall, the score is pleasant although not terribly memorable. Some don’t find their place or are extraneous like ‘The Pub Song’ which just helps to establish setting but don’t really move things along.


Dognapping capers soon ensue and it’s here that the show occasionally gets a bit repetitive. Once both couples (human and canine) have settled down, Tom is pressed upon by the infamous designer Cruella de Vil to design a coat using the fur of the dalmatians’ puppies. Ultimately, it’s a classic children’s story of good triumphing over evil. An entertaining sequence in act two sees the puppies try to escape Cruella’s lair with the help of a cat and other dogs nearby. The puppets have been impressively designed and directed by Jimmy Grimes. It’s interesting seeing a show where the puppets talk and are funny. Having worked as Associate Puppet Director on War Horse, Grimes instils a sense of verisimilitude in the puppets through the actors which operate them, often achieving a different gait for the various breeds. However, some are more simple hand puppets with a sense of fun and creativity which appeals to a younger audience. The slinky body movements for the cat are also brilliant. David Woodhead’s design is rather appealing. Its colourful set pieces and old-fashioned theatricality are charming and give a nod to the 1950s setting of the novel. Although, I found some of the more modern elements such as mobile phones and Crocs incongruous to the overall aesthetic.


Faye Tozer makes for an entertaining villain as Cruella (she’s sharing the role with Kym Marsh and, just announced, Kerry Ellis). Her performance has the crazed eyes and pointed gestures of Glenn Close’s performance as well as a primness which Tozer brings to the role. McKnight’s book captures her caustic wit and sarcastic jibes reminiscent of another fictional fashion icon, Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. But, for me, her relationship with henchmen Casper and Jasper (committedly played by Charles Brunton and Danny Hendrix) veers too much into pantomime. And despite her excellent vocals, her songs like ‘Für Fur’ and ‘I Can Smell Puppy’ aren’t as memorable as her opening number, the jazzy ‘Animal Lover’.


Despite its flaws, it’s not often you see a new musical in a mid-scale touring production, especially one which appeals to young families, so kudos to the producers. There’s much to admire here and the appearance of a cute puppy at the end will give you puppy eyes for 101 Dalmatians.


101 Dalmatians plays at Curve, Leicester until 27th July as part of a UK tour. For further information, please visit https://101dalmatians.co.uk/

Emma Thornett, Samuel Thomas, Jessie Elland and Linford Johnson in 101 Dalmatians. Credit: Johan Persson


No comments:

Post a Comment