DOODLE, 2**, London
London.
DOODLE
Book & Lyrics by Jonathan Kydd
Music by Andy Street
2**
Waterloo East Theatre, Brad Street, London SE1 8TN to 28 January 2018
Tues-Sat 7.30pm Mat Sun 4pm.
Runs 2h 30 mins One interval.
TICKETS: 0207 928 0060
www.waterlooeast.co.uk
Review: William Russell 13 January.
Carry on up the Mohne – or one dam thing after another
There is no way, given that we award stars, that this jolly musical romp about how the Nazis kidnapped Barnes Wallis of Dambusters fame and a group of British heroes of the screen plus one woman set out to rescue him deserves more than two in its present form. It is far too long, jokes are extended way beyond their natural life span, and the plot gets hopelessly lost. One does not expect Carry On movies to make much sense but plot wise they had an idea and the stuck with it.
With this you get the feeling that someone was so delighted with what seemed a good idea that it gets tossed in regardless.
On the plus side Andy Street has come up with several very hummable tunes and Kydd’s lyrics are frequently very funny. But while it is a nice idea to include the inevitable macho Yank among the rescuers or a suave David Niven as well as a token woman who has to masquerade as a man what on earth is George Smiley doing there? He is a Cold War figure.
As for the scene with King George V1 – why? It is too pointless as is the robot belonging to Barnes Wallis and the presence of Sherlock Holmes. Somebody needs to reach for the blue pencil quick because Doodle is not a disaster, just a mess which could be licked into shape.
Paul Ryan has great fun as the foolish officer in charge, Sooz Henshaw as the female pretending to be a Mexican to get on the teak delivers her numbers with style, Paul Storrier provides the beefcake as Flynn, Conor Cook is amusing as Deadman, who keeps bouncing back from the hereafter. There are some good back projections, the after it is all over listing of what became of whoever is witty but one leaves feeling somewhere in there is a rather good little show, a much shorter show, screaming to get out.
Filbert-Tweed & Guillaume; Paul Ryan.
Weaver, Svetlana Dorito, barmaid: Sooz Henshaw.
Shand-Beagle, Barnes-Wallis, French Farmer: Reggie Oliver.
Mee, Errol Flynn, Gary Prince: Paul Storrier.
Loomington-Badger, Sgt Major Trainer, Trevor the robot, Andre, Guillaume: Michael Sadler.
Bronson, Unteroffizer, Wilhelm, Cattermole, Fritz: Evan Boutsov.
David Niven, Constable Crumb: Sebastian Kainth.
Deadman, Guntha: Conor Cook.
Sam Kydd, Max, Bert: Luke Farrugia.
Voice over: Jonathan Kydd.
Dancers: Kate Haughton & Viva Foster.
Director: Jonathan Moore.
Choreographer: Gianna Burright.
Designer: Baskia Weslowska.
Assistant Director: Helena Jackson.
Assistant Sound Designer: Conor Cook.
Camera & Editing: Joe Greco.
2018-01-14 14:41:56