(4 / 5)

From the moment the show starts, Dog Man: The Musical draws you into its wonderfully quirky world, delivering a fun-filled theatrical experience that both children and adults can enjoy. I attended with my six-year-old, and we both thoroughly enjoyed every minute!

Staging and Set Design

The staging immediately sets the scene, with a fantastic resemblance to George and Harold’s treehouse. Warm lighting and a comic-book-inspired backdrop bring the world of the graphic novels to life, creating a vibrant and playful atmosphere that feels perfectly suited to the story.

The creative use of props throughout the production is another highlight, adding to the humour and bringing the characters’ imaginative world to life on stage.

Act One: A Brilliant Introduction

Act One gets off to a fantastic start, with George and Harold introducing the audience to the idea of turning their series of graphic novels into a musical. It’s a clever, engaging introduction that establishes the tone beautifully and draws the audience straight into their world.

The characters are introduced brilliantly, and the humour is wonderfully child-friendly, making it easy for younger audience members to follow along and become invested in the story. There’s plenty to entertain the adults, too, with clever wordplay and playful humour woven throughout.

The songs cleverly establish the character’s alignments to good or evil, drawing the audience in with humerous puns and dances that you may recognise from social media.

Act Two: Songs, Surprises and Saving the Day!

The second act ramps up the excitement, packed with fun songs, unexpected twists and turns, and plenty of impending doom! The energy keeps building, ensuring the audience remains captivated as the story races towards its conclusion.

Of course, Dog Man and Lil Petey rise to the challenge and save the day, delivering a heartwarming message about the power of love and friendship. It’s a lovely reminder that, beneath all the silliness and adventure, there’s a meaningful message for younger audiences to take away.

Final Thoughts

The music is catchy, entertaining and perfectly suited to its young audience, with plenty of clever puns to keep the adults smiling, too. The cast do a brilliant job of bringing the characters to life, seamlessly taking on multiple roles and keeping the energy high throughout.

Combined with the imaginative staging, creative props and engaging storytelling, Dog Man: The Musical is a wonderfully entertaining production that strikes a great balance between comedy, adventure and heart.

As a parent attending with a six-year-old, it was lovely to experience a show that kept us both entertained from beginning to end. We laughed, enjoyed the songs and were completely caught up in the adventure.

A funny, feel-good and thoroughly enjoyable musical that’s well worth seeing for a family theatre trip!