The Shaftesbury Theatre, London – until June 2024
Reviewed by Amber Mills
5*****
The musical comedy Mrs. Doubtfire is here to save the day!
This is a fresh, new, fun-filled musical that’s bound to make you cry with laughter and have a joyous night out!
The ensemble cast was phenomenal, full of fire, and versatile. But one cast member, in particular, kept catching my eye, and that was Adam Lyons. Adam is part of the ensemble cast and covers Stuart Dunmeyer. His energy is electric and everything he does is full out with feeling! No matter what character he plays throughout the show, the intention and storylines are always crystal clear. His passion for the arts really shines through when he performs!
The star of the show Gabriel Vick who plays Daniel Hillard is simply sensational. The sheer amount of vocal impersonations Gabriel can do is mind-blowing, let alone switch between them in an instant! Not to mention the swift changes he has to do on and off stage. Doubtfire’s role requires a great deal of endurance, concentration, and sheer talent, and Gabriel continued to surprise me throughout the show, by having to do full-blown dance breaks and belter songs all in one go!
The acting overall in the musical is just first-class! As well as their sweet, amazing, powerful voices the children especially, have exceptional stage presence and were so professional. There are so many contrasting roles the ensemble have to play in this musical and they were always giving 100%.
One of my favourite dance numbers in the show was ‘Easy Peasy’. At this point in the show, without giving too much away Daniel Hillard (Gabriel Vick) is in the Hillard house following a kitchen tutorial when the video is animated by the dancers. The choreographer Lorin Latarro has created this frantically quick, slick tap masterpiece which creates an energetic atmosphere. I was hypnotized by their feet as they were manic but then the rest of their body just seemed to glide across the stage. Lorin Latarro has managed to cleverly integrate cool choreography and props in this manic number, which is what makes it a very impressive piece.
Doubtfire has many settings and set changes. All of which are extremely detailed and complemented by vibrant and vivid lighting patterns. This adds to the mood/message trying to be conveyed. Hats off to the hair, makeup, and wig department because every time any cast member entered the stage they looked pristine. I can tell that a lot of time and effort was also put into the individual characters’ costumes as they just enhanced the whole performance.
The decor on the stage was beautifully detailed and seamless during the transformation of the scenes. As this is a new musical I didn’t know what the musical score was going to be like. However, I was surprisingly shocked. Act 1 for me has the most uplifting and catchy songs people will remember. Act 2 was still impressive but I feel like there were a few dips in energy with the songs but this could be because a more heartfelt message is being portrayed at this point in the show. Doubtfire teaches an important lesson that even parents can make mistakes but it’s the importance of finding your family, whether or not it’s a conventional one.
Overall Mrs. Doubtfire is a fun-filled family night out that will leave you feeling fulfilled!