Review: Mrs Doubtfire, at the Manchester Opera House

Well this turned out to be a last minute Monday night out. 

Ever since Mrs Doubtfire was announced to be having its UK premiere in Manchester, I must admit I was sceptical. Admittedly for several reasons. 

Though it was meant to be one of the BIG new projects of the 2020 Broadway season.... we all know what obstacle happened there; and after reopening, it was plagued with hiatuses, financial struggles, and conversations about whether we really need another story on Broadway with troubling gender roles (ie: Man in Dress = Funny), it closed after just 83 regular performances in May this year. 

So it was a little surprising to me that the Scottish nanny was able to turn herself around so quickly... though judging by all the quick changes this show has, I shouldn't be as surprised now. 

Still I was dubious, even after purchasing the £13 ticket, grabbing my train ticket, snacks, and programme and sitting in my seat. 

But still keeping as open-minded as possible. Oh and the tribe was counting on honest feedback... 

The musical of Mrs Doubtfire is based on the CLASSIC 1993 film of the same name starring the late, great Robin Williams. Voice actor Daniel Hillard is SO desperate to see his kids following his divorce, that he manages to get a job posing as their nanny; of course named Mrs Doubtfire. And as you can expect, antics ensue.... 

I sat there, and watched the antics unfold, and.... I admit it surprised me more than I thought. 

However, like Daniel Hillard being far from a perfect parent, Mrs Doubtfire is not a perfect musical. 

To me this comes in the writing. The score was written by Wayne & Karey Kirkpatrick, who were the writers behind the hilarious Something Rotten; while book writer John O'Farrell worked on the iconic Chicken Run - THAT is my childhood right there! 

So with a team like that, it should provide a few laughs. Well yes, I guess. There was quite a moment sprinkled in there that did make me chuckle out loud. But also a few that made me laugh due to being cringey. Now I know there were cringy bits in the film, but these moments did feel more dragged out. It was the case with some of the songs too. A couple could have easily been trimmed down for me, and there wasn't really an earworm tune that I could remember. In fact, I'm struggling to remember how any of the songs went. 

Compare that to other musicals-based-on-a-film when at least one stuck out, and Mrs Doubtfire sadly has a huge disadvantage because of it. There's no So Much Better, Dead Girl Walking etc for me there. 

HOWEVER - it does have some TALENT killing these roles on stage. 

Filling in Mr Williams' shoes is not easy, but Gabriel Vick took up the mantle with panache and gave us someone with the heart of a child - and he could do all the voices! I do also admire that his Daniel was not a cardboard cut-out of Williams, and he did try and make it his own; in fact he reminded more of Paul Rudd than anyone else. Plus ALL those costume changes...!

Though the actor playing Daniel does make or break it, it's still nice to see there is a whole talented crew supporting him: Laura Tebbut (School of Rock), Cameron Blakeley (The Addams Family), Marcus Collins (who I've not seen since he played Seaweed YEARS ago!), Dominic Anderson (Heathers), Vanessa Fisher (Legally Blonde) and Ian Talbot all had their moments to shine and deliver a punch or two to the audience (in whatever context that may be). 

But the real standouts for me are the kids: Fred Wilcox as Christopher, Darcey Dean as Natalie and especially Carla Dixon-Hernandez as the eldest Lydia. She's not even finished drama school and can deliver a performance like that! One to watch, and who I think will be PERFECT for Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice when that inevitably comes over here. 

So poppets.... what do I make of this mixed bag.... Well... a true pick & mix bag. 

Mrs Doubtfire is not a bad show. And am I glad I saw it... yes I think I am. It's a good choice for a fun family night out (though I think slightly older children will appreciate it more). But I definitely don't think it's perfect, and think it could do with just a couple of tweaks. 

I should say that they are still in early performances of its run, so if you go and see the show, things may be different, I don't know (she writes thinking in a MickyJoTheatre sort of tone). I would say, it is one of those things that if you're open to seeing it, go and form your own thoughts; and be as open-minded as possible. Think of it like a banana cream pie; nice enough, but probably needs a little bit more oomph beyond vanilla....