101 Dalmatians | Eventim Apollo

Taking a well loved classic and adapting it to the stage is a feat many try, unfortunately it doesn’t always work, and for 101 Dalmatians it falls short like many.

This production is a retelling of the book by the same name, which shows off incredible puppetry, powerful vocals and fun songs. Bill Buckhurst takes on directing the show, with music by Douglas Hodge and the book written by Johnny McKnight.

The show is led by Sydnie Christmas, who takes on the formidable Cruella De Vil, Laura Baldwin as Danielle and Samuel Thomas as Tom. Cruella’s comedic sidekicks, Casper and Jasper, are played by tv personality Jeff Brazier and singer Aston Merrygold. Rounding out the principal cast are Linford Johnson playing Pongo and Emma Thornett who takes on Perdi.

It is clear the main draw in of the show is the puppetry. Johnson and Thornett command the stage as Pongo and Perdi, making the audience almost forget that there aren’t real dogs onstage. All the ensemble members take on the task of puppetry during the show, between the Dalmatian puppies, other dog breeds and even cats. Even when not the main focus of the scene, the dogs are always moving, creating a feel of life to them.

Songs such as Animal Lover display Christmas’ vocal talents, with Dogtra and Where Are They? being upbeat ensemble numbers that are sure to have audiences smiling. Littlerbugs had audiences members laughing the whole way through.

Where the show falls short, however, is in its plot. Without all that much flesh to it, it fails to keep the audience’s attention. Plot points get lost and forgotten and then feel crammed in at the end to tie the show up. The characters also feel flat, with very little dimension to them. The main focus is the dogs, so in turn, the human characters feel forgotten, only having one key characteristic each.

Unfortunately, the show’s faults were only heightened by the size of the venue, where the immensity of the area left little room for mistakes. It was used to their advantage in parts, for example the opening of act two with characters Tom in the circle and Danielle up and down the aisles of the stalls. Which actors use multiple times after that.

The set (designed by David Woodhead) is brightly coloured and cohesive, conveying the story and making sure that the audience is always aware of where the story is placed. It is matched well by the characters costumes (Sarah Mercadé), who keeps the leads in comfortable looking costumes and decks Cruella out in as much faux animal print as humanly possible.

Overall, 101 Dalmatians has a mildly underdeveloped plot and one dimensional characters, but it promises impressive puppetry, a couple of memorable moments and a fun night out for the little ones. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and will have audiences members heading home to give their furry friends a hug, dogs are a man’s best friend after all.

101 Dalmatians can be found at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith for its summer run, closing on August 30th.

★★☆☆☆ (2*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Johan Persson