By: Jim Hutchins
Helloooo, Poppets!
Mrs Doubtfire at Theatre Royal Plymouth is filled with joy and love and the theatregoers are there for it. Waves of uncontrollable laughter roll through the crowd from curtain-up to finale, yet beneath the comedy lies an emotional tale of a family trying to stay a family. Maybe you should bring tissues. Just in case.
The music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick and the book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell skilfully rocket the story into the present day, engaging the Plymouth audience with rich and deftly paced comedy.
The music and dance routines are slick and hugely entertaining. I particularly enjoyed “Make Me a Woman” in Act I and “He Lied to Me” in Act II. David Korins’ scenic design contributes to the mood and pace as we move through the story. Mrs Doubtfire’s ultra-quick changes enabled by Make-up Designer, Craig Forrest-Thomas’ team seem impossibly fast but, of course, it catches up with Daniel Hillard in the end.
This musical has its roots in the hugely successful 1993 film, Mrs Doubtfire, in which Robin Williams firmly stamped his personality onto the character of Euphegenia Doubtfire whom we all know and love.
This production sees Gabriel Vick return the title role following his phenomenal success in the show at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre in 2023.
Gabriel adds something special to the character. Whether he is playing Daniel Hillard or Mrs Doubtfire, he brings superb comedic skill and tremendous energy to the role. He is a master of quick-fire humour and makes brilliant use of the slow burn, deliberately turning his eyes towards us until the whole audience erupts laughing again. The moments when the show engages directly with the local audience are funny and perfectly judged.
The music, acting and vocal performances are powerful throughout with several highlights for me.
Tonight the children are particularly well played by Dexter Pulling as Christopher Hillard and Harly Gill as Natalie, both matching the energy of the adults in timing and performance.
Their older sister Lydia Hillard is beautifully portrayed by Aaliya Mai who’s vocals shine in “What the Hell” and “Just Pretend”.
Ryan Pidgen and Jairus McClanahan make a fine team as Daniel’s brother Frank and Frank’s husband, Andre. They are especially impressive in “Make Me a Woman”. I also really enjoyed Samuelle Durojaiye’s vocal performance as Wanda Sellner.
The most moving part of the show comes when Mrs Doubtfire addresses children directly through the medium of television. There is no false promise that Daniel and Miranda will get back together. Instead, Mrs Doubtfire gently helps children understand that families come in all different shapes and sizes. A child might live with two mothers or two fathers, with a grandmother or with foster parents. As Mrs Doubtfire says ‘As long as there is love, dear, you’ll have a family in your hearts forever.’
Since it’s success in Seattle in 2019, Mrs Doubtfire has delighted audiences on Broadway, in Manchester UK, Shaftesbury Theatre London, and internationally in North America, Brazil and Germany.
Mrs Doubtfire is at Theatre Royal Plymouth until Saturday 07 November 2026