I didn’t see 101 Dalmatians The Musical at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in London in 2022 but I am so happy I got to see it last weekend at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith.
When fashionista Cruella de Vil plots to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, there’s trouble ahead for Pongo and Perdi and their litter of adorable, tail-wagging young pups.
Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas plays horrible Cruella De Vil. How it has taken ten years since graduating from drama school to get her the recognition she deserves I don’t know. It goes to prove that sometimes, reality TV can help to springboard a career. Sydnies vocals are out of this world and she could sing Elphaba in her sleep.
The next huge West End star should be Sydnie Christmas.
TV presenter Jeff Brazier and JLS pop star Aston Merrygold play Casper and Jasper, Cruellas comedy duo assistants. They are perfectly cast as the ‘Ant and Dec’ of the show – verging on cringeworthy but in the best way.
West End stars Laura Baldwin (Danielle) and Samuel Thomas (Tom) hold the show together as the couple who fell in love over their dogs but must work together to rescue them from the evil hands of Cruella.
This classic canine caper is brought to life on stage with spectacular puppetry, show-stopping choreography, hilarious songs and even a cheeky little real puppy on stage at the end!
The new musical version of Dodie Smith’s classic book, 101 Dalmatians is written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book), from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris. The music is really good (I wasn’t expecting as much from a family show) and I was pleasantly surprised.
101 Dalmatians is great family fun but also a great musical itself that can be enjoyed by people of any age. I could easily see it playing in the West End for a short time as it really raised the woof off of the Eventim Apollo!
★★★★★
West End Wilma
You only have until Saturday 30 August 2025 to catch 101 Dalmatians The Musical at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith.
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