★★★★

“joyous and fun”

It’s a story that reminds us of our childhood in many ways. Although originally a 1956 novel by Dodie Smith, for many of us, our memories will be of when we first saw a version of the film. Well this show (adapted for the stage by Zinnie Harris and directed by Bill Buckhurst) certainly transports us back to our youth with a musical twist on the well-known and much loved adventure.

Possibly of most concern to people going to the show is a fairly obvious question. “How will they be able to pull it off?” One may think that the film couldn’t possibly translate to the stage and for understandable reason. The main characters are dogs and there are a lot (101!) of them. However, this element is probably the most masterful of the production. Throughout the performance, actors handle life-size puppets of dogs, fit with moveable legs, necks and mouths and with wagging tails. This was an incredibly ambitious undertaking, that could easily have come across as a lazy imitation. However, because of the authenticity of the enactment (and Jimmy Grimes’ puppet direction) one can easily look past that these are puppets and indulge the characters in what they are saying. Clearly, we are watching remarkable innovation from the puppet team (Mikayla Teodoro).

The show benefits from precise and clear choreography (Lucy Hind) throughout. David Woodhead’s set is stunning enhanced with clever lighting from James Whiteside. Actors who play the canine characters expertly multitask by singing (music and lyrics by David Hodge) and manoeuvring their puppets simultaneously. The characters of Pongo (Linford Johnson) and Perdi (Emma Thornett) are particularly impressive. It looks a particularly tiring performance for the actors, but the show maintains its energy remarkably through to the end.

Nevertheless, the standout performance comes from Sydnie Christmas as Cruella De Vil, for whom it is her first musical theatre performance since winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2024. Christmas is, above all else, a very convincing villain, as she kidnaps 99 dalmatians to try and use their fur. However, she takes the character to new levels, which we haven’t seen before, as she nails musical numbers one after another. It is a spellbinding performance from someone who will go on to lead countless West End productions.

The other star names in the production are Jeff Brazier and Aston Merrygold who play Casper and Jasper, Cruella’s nephews, or more like Cruella’s terrified obedient assistants. Their performances are more than adequate if not spectacular, not reaching the depths of sincerity that we see from Cruella. Even so, that shouldn’t be seen as a criticism of their performance, more that the strength of the show comes from the togetherness of the ensemble rather than a few star performances.

The show is joyous and fun, if not always effortlessly so. At times, jokes are forced such as: “Nobody makes a mug of Cruella De Vil, unless it’s sold as official merchandise.” Notwithstanding this, one couldn’t ask for much more from a family-friendly show with astonishing music, choreography and live interaction.

WHITE CHRISTMAS

The Mill at Sonning

★★★★

“There is a simplicity to the evening that allows the storytelling and the inherent values of its message shine through”

The rain is falling from a dark, wintry sky and storm Darragh is rumbling away in the near distance heralding its arrival across the home counties. But down at the Mill at Sonning, tucked away in a nook by the river, one’s dreams of a White Christmas are being granted – if only for a few hours. Step over the threshold and you are indeed stepping right into the festive season. Just like the ones we used to know.

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen the Crosby and Kaye movie over the years, Jonathan O’Boyle’s revival of the stage version is as fresh as it is familiar. Jason Kajdi and Connor Hughes as Bob Wallace and Phil Davies – the former WWII soldiers turned celebrity double-act – share the same infectious camaraderie as Bing and Danny, but with a more youthful, wide-eyed approach to the world around them. Their bond is a prime example of ‘opposites attract’. Hughes’ Phil cannot get enough of the fairer sex (are you allowed to use that term these days?) while Kajdi steers his character away from love like sheltering from the “unpredictable, irresponsible, unbelievable, unreliable” weather.

The plot, slim as it is, and characterisation (rich as it is) come across with clarity through the fine voices of the cast. The duo recruit sisters, Betty and Judy (Gabriella Williams and Nic Myers), into their act, sweeping the four of them into a tangled romance that forms the backbone of the comedy. They end up in Vermont, New York, at a Christmas holiday lodge run by their old Major General from the army (Mark Curry). The former general sank his life savings into the inn but has fallen on hard times as the lack of snow is keeping his customers away. Hatching a plan to save his business, and restore his self-esteem, Bob and Phil trigger a series of misunderstandings and near break-ups with the girls before realisation and reconciliation comes to the rescue. You get the idea. O’Boyle’s trim and elegant staging will give you a much better idea.

There is a simplicity to the evening that allows the storytelling and the inherent values of its message shine through. Jason Denvir’s uncluttered sets, with David Howe’s lighting are all about atmosphere. This is a show that creates moods rather than spectacle and is all the more heart-warming for these choices. As the sister act, Williams and Myers match the boys’ chemistry, exemplified in the iconic number ‘Sisters’ (also beautifully and hilariously parodied by Bob and Phil). Irving Berlin’s music and lyrics are served well by the core cast and the ensemble who handle the dynamics of the score with ease, from the razzmatazz to the intimate. An unseen seven-piece band perfectly follows – and leads – the highs and lows of Berlin’s melodies and lyricism. All the favourites are all there: ‘Happy Holiday’, Love and the Weather’, ‘The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing’, ‘I Love a Piano’… and so on. A star turn by Shirley Jameson as Martha, the holiday inn’s housekeeper, lifts her solo number ‘Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun’ into one of the highlights.

The production is in no rush, and the first act shows tentative signs of outstaying its welcome. However, we are in no rush at all for the evening to reach its sugar-coated but deliciously festive and heart-warming finale. We are too busy being drawn into the comfort and joy of the performances. There are no surprises. We know exactly what’s beneath the wrapping. But it is all we could have wished for. It may still be raining outside, but inside the Mill at Sonning it is snowing. Our dreams of a White Christmas have come true indeed. The show is a dream.

101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL

Eventim Apollo

★★★★

“joyous and fun”

101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL

Eventim Apollo

Reviewed on 24th July 2025

by Luke Goscomb

Photography by Johan Persson

Recently reviewed by Luke:

101 DALMATIANS

101 DALMATIANS

101 DALMATIANS

WHITE CHRISTMAS

The Mill at Sonning

★★★★

“There is a simplicity to the evening that allows the storytelling and the inherent values of its message shine through”

WHITE CHRISTMAS at The Mill at Sonning

Reviewed on 6th December 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

WHITE CHRISTMAS

WHITE CHRISTMAS

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