Music & Lyrics: Douglas Hodge
Book: Johnny McKnight
Director: Bill Buckhurst
Manchester continues to premier big new musicals. This time The Palace Theatre turns spotty as 101 Dalmatians begins its UK and Ireland tour. Cruella de Vil’s race to transform the dogs from hounds to gowns, woofs to ruffs or puppies to hushpuppies is a thrilling adventure for all the family.
Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel was transformed into a Disney favourite in 1961. The tale of Pongo and Perdita and their battle to save the skins of their beloved pups from the wicked Cruella is a story that needs no explanation. This brand-new version, although not Disney, does have all the feel of the animated classic. You won’t hear Mel Leven’s classic Cruella De Vil sung but you will hear an excellent brand-new score from composer and lyricist Douglas Hodge.
Despite references to CCTV, mobile phones and micro-chipped dogs we are still in the stylised 1950s exaggerated cartoonish style that is so familiar. Designer David Woodhead creates a cosy home for the dogs to thrive, a cold lair for Cruella’s hive and recognisable classic car for her cronies to drive. Fashion designer Tom (Samuel Thomas) gets literally tangled up in love with Danielle (Jessie Elland). Their Dalmatians Pongo (Linford Johnson) and Perdi (Emma Thornett) quickly follow the (dog) leads and home sweet home is quickly established … along with fifteen pups! But when Tom foolishly courts the attention of Cruella de Vil to pursue his design dreams there is only one thing on her mind … and it isn’t animal welfare!
Described as the ’vanguard of post-modern panto,’ Johnny McKnight has been brought on board to write the book. A veteran of countless pantos in Scotland, McKnight brings the structure of pantomime to the production. There is more than a whiff of wicked step-mother and ugly sisters in Cruella De Vil (Kym Marsh) and sidekicks Jasper (Danny Hendrix) and Casper (Charles Brunton). It isn’t quite booing Cruella as she enters stage left but it isn’t far away. The show, therefore, feels skewed to a very young audience as it leans towards silly rather than scary; bumbling buffoons Jasper and Casper more like the burglars in Home Alone than anything approaching villains that might fulfil Cruella’s cruel wish. McKnight and Hodge even give them their own panto-esque ‘slop’ scene in the Litterbugs as the pair frantically try to pack up the litter into their swag bags. Brunton and Hendrix perform the loveable baddies with boundless energy and we grow to love them just as much as the pups themselves.
After being resident of Coronation Street for many years, Kym Marsh’s Cruella de Vil is greeted with gusto from the many Wetherfield neighbours in the audience. Aided by Sarah Mercade’s outlandish costume design she struts the stage a super-villain even if she is wearing a giraffe’s neck! Hodge gives her suitable big numbers such as Für Fur and I Can Smell Puppy. Marsh proves she can play the panto baddie as Cruella descends into increasing buffoonery to match her ridiculous nephews.
The highlight of the production is Jimmy Grimes’ puppetry. Pongo and Perdi, puppeteered by Johnson and Thornett, are exquisite. Joined in the second half by three of their pups and a cat, Grimes’ puppetry direction brings believability, warmth and an incredible amount of charm to the show. McKnight and Hodge could be accused of dipping a little too much into sentimentality with A Thousand Kisses but any young child will be failed to be moved by this number. The over-riding theme of having a home (a possible nod to the refugee crisis) is reprised many times with Take Me Home and when the 101 finally make it back home to Tom and Danielle’s flat it becomes quite the cramped canine sanctuary. Although perhaps the design may have missed a trick in the reveal of 101 pups into a tiny abode.
101 Dalmatians looks set to have a successful first run. With Faye Tozer and Kerry Ellis taking the role of Cruella the show should keep fresh as it travels and with a 7pm start time it is specifically designed to be spot-on for the younger audience.
Runs until August 10 and tours until January 5th, 2025.