Review: Dog Man the Musical, Southbank Centre

Dog Man, the beloved series by Dav Pilkey (creator of Captain Underpants), has been transformed into a musical and is currently performing in London before embarking on a national tour. For those unfamiliar, Dog Man is half man and half dog (with the head of a dog and the body of a policeman) who loves to fight crime and take naps on furniture. The series features fourteen graphic novels, with a fifteenth set to be released soon. Its popularity is immense, successfully engaging thousands of children, some of whom previously struggled with reading. It’s fair to say I approached this performance with excitement.

Currently showing at the 900-seat Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre and brimming with merchandise, the show is practically sold out, making it a pricey outing for any parent and child. Is it worth it?

George (Ricardo Mendes) and Harold (Peter Lavery), both in the equivalent of UK school year 5, create Dog Man as a comic book character. Disappointed with their school’s choice for the year-end musical, they now rise to a challenge from their teacher, deciding to write Dog Man: The Musical as an alternative. Their energy and vocal performances are commendable, but the concept feels a bit forced. While the music is performed exceptionally well, it seems misaligned with the format of a children’s show, incorporating references to Hamilton and other musicals that cater more to an older audience. The production maintains a single tempo and style throughout, which distracts from the original, slightly edgy characterisation of Dog Man.

The moment when Dog Man is first formed is faithfully recreated (no spoilers!), and events closely follows those of the first few books, which will resonate with those familiar with the source material.

Some effort has been made with stage design and costumes, but the action can feel chaotic, and it’s uncertain what is happening at times. Given the fidgeting children beside me, I suspect I wasn’t alone in this confusion. The original Dog Man books have a distinctive style, characterised by simple, loose cartoon line work and vibrant, flat colours without gradients or realism. While the stage backdrop attempts to mirror this design, the characters and central scenery, at times, are more confused, resembling something hastily put together with hand-me-downs and a marker pen.

Costumes are basic yet confusing; for example, it took me a while to recognise the purple-helmeted character as Flippy, the telekinetic cyborg fish. Props are well utilised but not always clear in their purpose. Achieving simplicity in costume and design can be challenging but powerful when successful; in this case, the design feels like a mismatched collection of items.

That said, all vocal performances are outstanding, with Sam Kipling as Petey the Cat being the standout star. Combining dramatic nuance with lyrical excellence, Kipling elevates every scene he graces. The rest of the cast is composed of additional experienced vocal performers, bringing exceptional energy and enthusiasm to the production. 

Perhaps my main concern is whether Dog Man truly needs to be a musical. The joy of the book lies in its ability to leave space for the reader’s imagination. Pilkey uses a technique called “Flip-O-Rama” to create simple action sequences between pages, illustrating the before and after of a single action. Can that intent be effectively reproduced on stage? Yes. In musical form? Maybe for a few catchy songs, but the entire genre? I’m not so sure.

Book and Lyrics: Kevin Del Aguila
Music: Brad Alexander
Original Director and Choreographer: Jen Wineman
Musical Director: Paul Herbert
Scenic Designer: Timothy R. Mackabee
Costume Designer: Heidi Leigh Hanson
Original Sound Designer: Emma Wilk
Co-Producers: Tilted Productions
Producers and General Managers: Roast Productions
By special arrangement with TW Theatricals

Dog Man: The Musical is aimed at ages 5+ and plays at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre until Sunday 16 August with a UK tour to follow.