In equal parts chaotic as it is comically brilliant

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What I love about family theatre is it is absolutely okay to just be obviously funny. We can have the laugh out loud ridiculous humour, with slapstick comedy and crazy dancing, and it all ties together to make a fun night out. 101 Dalmatians ticks every box for comedy, but doesn’t quite hit its emotional marks.

Made famous by Walt Disney, the original story by Dodie Smith has now been brought to life by the cast and creatives currently touring the U.K. This musical is full of brilliant puppetry, catchy songs and dogs galore!

If you’re like me, you’ll be pleased to know the plot hasn’t been tampered with to much extent. We very much follow the story of two Dalmatian owners who fall in love after a comical sniff at the park and an intertwining of a pair of dog leads. The puppies are born, but of course, Cruella De Vil wants them for herself as a sweet but bumbling Tom, Samuel Thomas has promised the puppies in exchange for a fashion commission and that’s where the drama kicks off.

The puppetry is stellar, there are heaps of dogs to marvel at on stage. I thought Emma Thornett was particularly impressive controlling Perdi. She absolutely nailed the mannerisms, especially cocking her ear and doing the dog face shake. I also found her motherly warmth to be endearing and thought ‘A Thousand Kisses’ was beautiful.

The show commences with a scene that perhaps came as a bit of a surprise to many of us audience members. As Pongo (Benedict Hastings) is beautifully performing Take Me Home on a darkened stage, it’s tough to stifle a laugh when a song that seems is supposed to be emotional starts to appear comical. The scene then progresses into a kennel where it starts to become more natural to see the dogs sing, and talk, and the humour was intentional.

The puppets themselves are a huge highlight to the show, but it was the brothers that were my favourites. Jasper (Danny Hendrix) and Casper (Charles Brunton) were the perfect anti-heroes. Their presence onstage was non-stop laughs and you couldn’t help but love them from the get go. Will never hear the name Linda again without hearing it in Hendrix’s “Lin-Dahhhhh”.

Cruella de Vil is played by Faye Tozer, best known for her role in the pop band Steps. Tozer dominates the stage as De Vil and if there’s an accolade for most iconic evil laugh, she’s a strong contender. Her vocals behind Animal Lover are strong and it’s a fantastic villain banger. She is a powerful Cruella and captures the essence and wickedness of her character excellently.

Lighting, staging and the use of effects was interesting. I particularly enjoyed the falls of snow during A Thousand Kisses, whilst the pyrotechnics were well used during Cruella’s car scene and the cages scene. Bill Buckhurt’s permanent staging is simple yet effective with three concentric arcs with some Dalmatian spots and lighting. The set pieces are then predominately wheeled on by members of the cast, but is done effectively and quickly.

There perhaps isn’t too much in depth emotion, and I enjoyed this one on a face value basis. Though, I think it would be a mean task for anybody to not fall in love with Linda when she gains her spots.

I chose not to take my almost three year old to this one, and I’m glad I didn’t. I know she would’ve been incredibly scared at some elements and sad and worried at others. Babes in arms aren’t permitted to this show and comes with a recommendation of 6+ which I think is absolutely spot on.

Overall, this is a fun family theatre show that doesn’t take itself seriously.