![]() Kate Fleetwood does well with the role she’s given, although we felt a villain this renowned could have been bolder, scarier and more dramatic. The updated story unfolds in the present day, set in a world of smartphones and social media, and this works well for Cruella’s narrative. We enjoyed the re-imagining of Cruella as a Katie Hopkins-esque right-wing commentator, deliberately doing and saying controversial things to ensure people continue talking about her. It’s not entirely without redeeming features. ![]() The puppy puppets are all identical – collectively this looks quite effective, but we couldn’t buy into characters forming particular attachments to any of them individually, as there was nothing to distinguish one from another. Many moments just seem to happen without adding value – entire song and dance routines come and go, which aren’t all that entertaining to watch and don’t significantly further the narrative. During many of the musical numbers, there simultaneously feels like there’s a lot going on, and yet no real focal point. There are a lot of individually cute elements to the show – the puppetry for the Dalmatians is quite sweet (and we even see a real, live puppy at one point) and the child actors know how to tug at the heartstrings, but these don’t make up for a musical which is unfortunately rather lacking in substance.Īt times it all feels a bit confused, too. Given the rich source material, we were expecting something far more entertaining and exciting – much of the music is quite forgettable, the lyrics are often a tad juvenile, the book is a bit bland, and the choreography is generally fairly simple. Sadly it doesn’t live up to expectations. It stars the excellent Kate Fleetwood as the infamous Cruella De Vil and is packed full of puppetry – it has all the ingredients for a perfect summer’s evening in the park. ![]() ![]() Originally expected to debut in summer 2020 but delayed two years due to Covid, it’s now on in the coveted prime slot of the Open Air Theatre’s summer season. Zinnie Harris’ new stage adaptation of the classic Dodie Smith novel, with music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge and book by Johnny McKnight, is a show with a lot of potential. ![]()
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