Robin Williams’ iconic comedy gets the stage treatment here in Manchester…
Despite the 1993 film being one of the most beloved of the decade, the stage musical edition of Mrs Doubtfire was met with many negative reviews when it first made its way to Broadway in 2021. So when it arrived at Manchester Opera House last month, many went in with a touch of scepticism alongside their excitement – us included. Thankfully, audiences seem to be overwhelmingly pleased with this new adaptation.
Seeing Mrs Doubtfire for the first time feels like it comes straight out of the film with a wonderfully faithful representation of her look and all-over-the-place English/Scottish accent. Story-wise, we’re sure most people will remember Chris Columbus’s hit kids movie well but for the few that haven’t seen it, it follows Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams), an immature man-child whose life is snapped into focus when the mother of his three kids asks him for a divorce. Pained at the idea that he’ll no longer see his kids every day, he disguises himself as the film’s titular Scottish nanny in order to be closer to them, only for this family con to spin wildly out of hand.
The show is a heartwarming punch of nostalgia for fans, especially because it follows the film’s plot so closely with only minor changes like modernising the time period to a 2020s environment – it even has an entire musical number being dedicated to ‘Easy Peasy’ YouTube recipe videos.
Gabriel Vick takes on the extremely difficult task of trying to live up to Williams’ iconic character and does so in a way which may not seem as charming but works seamlessly in creating the tension needed for audiences to become invested in the Hillard family. This does toe the line of becoming rather irritating at points but only adds to the empathy for his ex-wife Miranda (Laura Tebbutt). Williams’ influence is definitely shown in Vick’s performance and he is able to capture the audience’s hearts as both Mrs Doubtfire and Mr Hillard, showing his internal transformation as well as the physical.
Tebbutt shows a more human side to Miranda, especially during her multiple heartfelt conversations with Mrs Doubtfire. She really displays how her marriage to Daniel affected her and her relationship with her children. Her budding relationship with her new flame Stuart, played by Dominic Andersen, is fun to watch thanks to Mrs Doubtfire’s constant meddling and teasing of his Austin Powers-like accent and gym-dedicated bod. Andersen plays the role well, coming across as smarmy but not so much that he becomes unlikable.
Laura Dixon Hernandez is a shining star in this production as Lydia Hillard, Daniel and Miranda’s eldest. All eyes stay on her every time she opens her mouth to sing. Hernandez is a bit older than the 15-year-old character she plays but her maturity just displays how much Lydia has had to grow up and look after herself and her siblings at times when her parents are fighting non-stop. Her tumultuous relationship with her parents, particularly her father, is full of depth and the audience is desperate to see it mended by the end of the show.
Following Hernandez are the two younger siblings Chris and Natalie, played by Charlie Tumbridge and Angelica-Pearl Scott respectively in this particular performance. Of course, seeing child actors in any production is sure to warm an audience’s heart but these two are especially endearing to watch.
Stage star Cameron Blakely plays Daniel’s brother Frank and X-Factor alum Marcus Collins plays his husband Andre. These two steal the show every time they appear, providing comedy and fabulous musical numbers like “Make Me a Woman” where the ensemble joins them dressed as female icons like Donna Summer, Cher and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Audiences coming to see the show are likely going to be familiar with its story and iconic moments but one thing they won’t know is the music. Adapting a well-known film into a musical obviously runs the risk of not feeling as classic as it once was and so these songs need to wow audiences. There is no doubt Mrs Doubtfire does this, with its wide range of flash dance numbers, to its emotional and heartfelt ballads like “Just Pretend.” The soundtrack will definitely get stuck in your head and make you want to sing along to its most upbeat songs.
All in all, this production is heartfelt, comedic and endearing with plenty of relevant references and iconic moments for everyone to chuckle at – essentially, everything you want in a Mrs Doubtfire stage adaptation.
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