Sydnie Christmas (Cruella) and the cast of 1-1 Dalmatians The Musical. Photo by Johan PerssonAbandoned dalmatian Pongo (Linford Johnson) is adopted by Danielle (Laura Baldwin), who works at a dog rescue home. One day, whilst out walking, she encounters a struggling clothes designer Tom (Samuel Thomas), whose own dalmatian, Perdi (Emma Thornett), takes an instant liking to Pongo. Soon, they are all living in a small flat and a litter of puppies is expected.
Boasting a previous winner of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, Sydnie Christmas in the role of arch villainess Cruella De Vil, the show benefits from some selective updating whilst managing to retain the childlike naivety of the original material. For the stage show, this is further enhanced by energetic puppeteering with some stand-out work from Lottie Johnson in the second half as cat Tabby.
We first encounter Cruella (who revels in wearing clothes made from the skins of exotic creatures and is always looking for her next zany creation), clad in a monstrous outfit conjured from giraffe skin. Moments before, a radio news announcement proclaims that such an animal has recently disappeared from the zoo! She cannot abide fabrics and in trying to coax Tom to design something breathtaking for her, she stumbles upon the idea of buying-up Perdi’s litter of puppies to use their uber-soft skins for a coat. Of course our animal loving pair cannot envision such a thing and so Ms de Vil resorts to stealing the puppies with the aid of her bumbling and largely incompetent henchmen Jasper (Aston Merrygold) and Casper (Jeff Brazier). Thereafter, the story fast tracks to a cobbled-together rescue of the kidnapped canine cuties from their electrified Cherry Tree Farm enclosures and a satisfying comeuppance for the wisecracking, song-belting villainess.
What the show lacks in subtlety and sophistication, it more than makes up for with schmaltz and rumbustious energy. The bouncy songs, bright lighting and panto-esque costumes are as catnip to the many kids in the audiences, whose parents must be glad of the glued captivation and awe which the show delivers. For all this however, there is a sense that the busy set by David Woodhead is a tad cluttered (given the space required for performers and puppets), and on press night the tunnelled lighting appeared to have some issues.
In booking such a huge auditorium, the producers must surely have had their eye on the kids off school for the summer market, but even the adults will be hard pushed to stymie an involuntary awww as a real dalmatian puppy is brought onto the stage at the end. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the schmaltz.
101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL has a limited run at the Eventim Apollo until 30th August.
