101 Dalmatians 
Rating: ★★★★
Venue: eventimapollo, London
Cast: Sydnie Christmas, Jeff Brazier, Aston Merrygold, Laura Baldwin, Dylan Collymore, Victoria Compson-Bradford, Benedict Hastings, Lottie Johnson, Linford Johnson, Rachel Lea-Gray, Callum Martin, Eugene Shire, Kenan Lewis Smith, Joe Sleight, Ronan O’Hara, Samuel Thomas, Emma Thornett, Chioma Uma and Jhanaica Van Mook

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. Dodie Smith’s classic canine caper is brought to life on stage with spectacular puppetry, show-stopping choreography, hilarious songs and irresistible puppies!

101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith has been a family favourite since its book release back in 1956. Adapted for the stage by Zinnie Harris, with a book by Johnny McKnight and music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge, comes the musical version of this beloved classic. 

The plot stays similar to the original and follows dog owners Tom (Samuel Thomas) and Danielle (Laura Baldwin) as they fall in love, along with their respective dogs, Pongo and Perdita. When Cruella de Vil (Sydnie Christmas) decides she wants an authentic dalmatian fur coat, and Perdita has just had her litter of fifteen puppies, it's up to the canine duo, along with their humans, to save the day.

Sydnie Christmas is undoubtedly the highlight of the show, providing an outrageously over-the-top performance as Cruella de Vil. Her wildly eccentric portrayal as Cruella is strikingly similar to that of Glenn Close's; even down to the mannerisms. However, what's most astounding about her performance is her vocals. Her belting range is enough to make any Elphaba green with envy, and it feels like an honour to even witness such a vocal powerhouse on stage.

Other standout performances come from Dylan Collymore as the loveable puppy, Spud, Linford Johnson's warm-hearted portrayal of Pongo and Aston Merrygold as the charismatically boyish henchman, Jasper.

Jimmy Grimes' puppetry design is exceptional, bringing to life an array of puppets in such a way that it's easy to forget there's someone controlling them on stage. This is particularly true in the case of the cat puppets. The fluidity with which they move across the stage is so unbelievably authentic and the personality of each puppet shines through brightly. The costume design by Sarah Mercadé is visually stunning, particularly Cruella's plethora of outfits throughout the two hour production. 

In the way of finding yourself humming songs on the way home, there aren't many memorable songs but they're all wickedly fun. With particular standouts being Animal Lover, Fur Fur and Christmas' maniacal performance of I Can Smell Puppies.

Where this production falls slightly short, is in lacking connection to the story and its characters. At times, Jasper (Aston Merrygold) and Casper (Jeff Brazier) come across almost too pantomime-like and while Baldwin and Thomas are exceptionally talented, their chemistry onstage feels almost non-existent. However, Cruella and the puppets are the stars of this show, and this is where the production excels.

With an uplifting finale that left me feeling emotional, 101 Dalmatians is sure to be a hit with children and adults alike. What the production lacks in story connection, it makes up for in heart and talent. And it's worth the ticket price alone to witness Sydnie Christmas' iconic portrayal of one of the best villains of all time. A musical that's fun for all the family, that has animal lovers at its heart. 

You can book tickets to see 101 Dalmatians, here.

**photo credit: Johan Persson**