101 Dalmatians, Edinburgh Playhouse
★★★
Simple story drags but remains magical
First-night-itis strikes again at the Edinburgh press night of 101 Dalmatians with Steps’ star Faye Tozer on the sick list much as Matt Cardle was when & Juliet came to town, as was Jason Donovan when The Rocky Horror Show came to Glasgow. On both those previous occasions, the alternate to the star name proved top notch and so it was with 101 Dalmatians, understudy Rachel Lee-Gray proving a sassy, sexy and deliciously wicked Cruella De Vil. In a quite fabulous performance, Lee-Gray relished her every sashay, song and moment of evil intent, marking her out as an exciting star of the future.
Johnny McKnight’s sparse book, from a stage adaptation based on Didie Smith’s original novel by Zinnie Harris, manages to be both worthy and subtly subversive as it tells the story of Dalmatians Pongo and Perdi and their pets, Danielle and Tom, perhaps the wettest couple to ever grace a musical. Not long after both canine and human couples fall in love, fledgling fashion designer Tom is summoned to the Haus of De Vil where fashionista Cruella De Vil offers him work in exchange for the litter of puppies Perdi is expecting; she wants to skin them alive for her latest haute couture creation. When Tom and Danielle, played with twee coyness by Samuel Thomas and Jessie Elland, renege on the deal, Cruella has the puppies kidnapped… can Pongo and Perdi save their family?
It’s a fairly simple story but even with a running time of just 2 hours and 15 minutes, including interval, there are times this production drags. The opening scenes are dull, the puppetry distracting, the pacing slow and the songs forgetful. That said, there are some nice comic moments early on, including some bum-sniffing as Pongo and Perdi meet, which sends younger members of the audience into fits of giggles and elicits embarrassed chuckles from their accompanying adults.
The show finally comes alive with the arrival of Lee-Gray and her reluctant henchmen, Casper and Jasper – a brilliant broker’s men double-act from Charles Brunton and Danny Hendrix. Both work well together while Brunton’s ability to grasp the comedy in any given moment is something special to behold. It’s in the scenes where these three are on stage together that this production really hits its stride and engages. Elsewhere, puppeteers Linford Johnson and Emma Thornett display great vocal dexterity as they manipulate the Pongo and Perdi puppets.
If Bill Buckhurst’s direction is fairly static in scenes hampered by the sheer number of puppeteers cluttering the stage, in the big musical numbers, choreographer Lucy Hind works hard to inject energy into the piece. With the exceptions of the smoky jazz vibes of Animal Lover, the camp-fest that is I Can Smell Puppy, and the sentimental Take Me Home, Douglas Hodge’s score is lack-lustre with many songs extended beyond their welcome.
Despite all of that, there remains something quite magical about the whole affair; Sarah Mercade’s costume design is exquisite while David Woodhead’s striking, cartoon-like set design is brilliantly enhanced by James Whiteside’s dynamic lighting. And while the puppetry may not be up to the standard of War Horse and The Lion King, it holds the kids in the audience spellbound, although, predictably, the biggest ‘aww’ of the night is saved for a very special guest at the end. Yes, you’ve guessed right.
Oh, and do have your woof ready!
At Edinburgh Playhouse until Saturday, tickets here.
Full tour dates and tickets here.
