REVIEW: Mrs Doutbfire at the Shaftesbury Theatre

With the weight of the 1993 classic film on their shoulders, the cast, crew, and creatives of Mrs Doubtfire the Musical set out to bring the story to the stage; and what a triumph it is!

This show is a marathon for the whole company, but none so more than Gabriel Vick who takes the iconic role of Mrs Doubtfire. Taking on a role made famous by Robin Williams on the silver screen, Vick is an unstoppable force on stage. Vick brings unyielding energy to both Daniel Hillard and his alter-ego Mrs Doubtfire and is one of the many great driving forces behind the bouncy pace of this musical. His comic timing has been expertly crafted, matched by his well-honed impersonations which are highlighted brilliantly in a meeting with Micha Richardson’s Janet Lundy (the famous “I do voices” scene). Richardson brings a welcome warmth to the traditionally cold character which works well. Cameron Blakely and Marcus Collins pair up as Frank Hillard and Andre Mayem. Both bring great energy to the stage, and Frank’s inability to lie without shouting is a constant source of laughter throughout. Match this with their chemistry and satisfyingly sassy attitudes; they are a match made in heaven (well, San Fransisco).

Laura Tebbutt is wonderful as Miranda Hillard and strikes the balance well between anger and sorrow. Samuel Edwards brings sauve sophistication and a hint of smarminess to the love interest Stuart Dunmire, made famous by the pre-Bond Peirce Brosnan. His duet with Vick on Big Fat No is hilarious and helps show Dunmire’s selfish side whilst also showing Edwards’ vocal talents. Whilst his arrogance can be sickening, the script sadly underutilises the character, which makes Miranda’s adoration for him less believable.

The ensemble for this production must be some of the hardest working in the West End. Whether as tap-dancing chefs or Doubtfire doppelgängers, they all bring zest and excitement to the stage. This show has so much energy and heart, and so much of that comes from this brilliant ensemble of Joshua Dever, Maria Garrett, Kiera Haynes, Adam Lyons, Corey Mitchell, Ellie Mitchell, Matt Overfield, Tom Scanlon, Vicki Lee Taylor and Samuel Wilson-Freeman. Watch out for the pairing of Lyons and Scanlon with Lisa Mathieson as their impassioned flamenco is fantastic! I have no doubt that the gym scene will be a firm favourite for certain audiences, too...

As all good musical adaptations should, this production adds more texture to elements of the story and delves deeper into some of the characters than the film is able to do. Miranda’s power ballad ‘Let Go’ in act two is a prime example and is stunningly performed by Tebbutt. Her “the whole time” moment is delivered brilliantly; to the huge amusement of any Doubtfire fan!

Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick’s music and lyrics are suitably exciting and bring a wow factor to the show that is guaranteed to keep family audiences entertained. Whilst not every song is an earworm, the Kirkpatrick brothers have avoided the dreaded Act 2 slump by keeping the punchy numbers coming. John O’Farrell penned the book with the Kirkpatricks, which pays homage to the film without recycling too much. The updates to the story, which include new pop-culture references, sit well within the narrative and bring the 90s film into 2023. David Korins’ set design brings the beautiful Hillard house of San Fran Suburbia to the stage, and it works well. The set feels underutilised at times, and the bare stage feels too stark for the scenes that are played on it.

Bringing Mrs Doubtfire to life in the films requires careful prosthetic work each time. On stage, this intricate work takes a shortcut, but the results are great. Jerry Zaks' direction often reveals the changes in real-time which brings dramatic irony to scenes such as the restaurant.

The entire company work together to honour the original film but reinvent it, the characters are original but recognisable, and the energy amongst the performers is exquisite. With so much love and heart rooted in this show I have no doubt that, unlike other fictional nannies, Mrs Doubtfire is here to stay, poppets!

Review by Max Topliss

Rating: ★★★★

Seat: Stalls R30 | Price of Ticket: £79.50