Photo: Johan Persson
A well-known Disney classic retold in musical form, showing at the Hammersmith Apollo. This big production has spared no expense in its flashy lights, big stage and a few well-known faces. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hit you quite the same way as it may have in your childhood. This retelling is scatty, nonsensical and just basic.
We begin with meeting Pongo, one of our central characters and told through puppetry. The stage is mostly filled with beautifully designed puppets, moving very effectively and breathes so much life into this story. Eventually met with Purdy before birthing 15 adorable puppies. After this, the story goes a little bit diagonally- Cruella played by Sydnie Christmas, a fashion idol is looking for her big hit for London’s fashion week and has hired a small time designer (Pongo’s owner) to make her a coat made from Dalmatians. Conveniently he’s got 15 at home which he is happy to sell, mostly likely suspecting they’ll be killed as Cruella has made herself very clear on her intentions. The puppies are stolen and taken to Cruella’s lab for skinning and between here we have a few songs that unfortunately are unmemorable- the lyrics were extremely expositional and extremely basic. Rhyming was prioritised to neaten the lyrics but made the songs almost nonsensical, if anything just a little bit cringey. I know, it may be harsh due to this show being a target for families and children however, I do think we underestimate a young person’s intelligence in musicals like these. It gives you no room to make decisions for yourself, find an emotional connection to the music or even explore any type of complexity when we are presented with very 2 dimensional characters and situations. If we think back to the original film or any new children TV, the scripts have so much more depth for children to actually learn from and for the parents to find entertainment. Unfortunately for us, this musical felt more like a panto than a remake of a well-loved classic.
I believe we are in a time that productions are valuing moneymaking shows rather than quality and this sadly feels like soulless cash grab. Just in time for the summer holidays, it’s a well-timed distraction for desperate parents to keep their children entertained. Parents please save your money, you’d be better off getting a real puppy.
It would be unfair to not highlight the true talent of the cast. Of course, they’re absolutely fantastic singers, dancers and actors and really bring this production to life. They bring the show a beautiful warmth, it’s just a shame the script has lost all the magic and heart from the original story.
Love the cast but if there’s a scale on remakes, this will sit sadly at the bottom.
Reviewer: Alice Rose
Reviewed: 24th July 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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