Review: MDH – Puppets Do a Movie, The Wardrobe Theatre – ‘Mahna Mahna meets Yippee Ki-Yay, with moments of true brilliance’

The Wardrobe Theatre have delighted Bristol with their antics for years now. 2019’s Drac and Jill was an electrifying cross between nursery rhyme and gothic horror, whilst last year’s hilarious Little Women in Black combined retro sci-fi flick with the classic coming of age tale.

This year’s show – brought back by popular demand after eight years – takes the medley approach to a whole different level. It’s Die Hard. It’s ‘puppets’. It was always waiting to happen.

The makers don’t stray far from the original story, except for the incursion of some beloved furry characters and the odd reference further afield.

And they dance neatly around any tricky legal areas too; cue a very tongue in cheek opening number about intellectual property law from our fuzzy green hero, who acts as the show’s compere and takes us through the story.

He is joined by a few faces that may seem familiar, though their distinct personalities soon belie them – this is a world away from family-friendly entertainment: here, we have the manic, cocaine-sniffing employee, the hap-hazard cop, and the submissive Holly Gennaro, who surprisingly has a rather raunchy love scene with Hans Gruber, the only non-puppet character.

Gruber is brilliantly by Harry Humberstone, who not only expertly mimics the Alan Rickman character, but also satirises the villain’s every move.

A song titled Exceptional Thief is a particular highlight, and the accompaniment for Humberstone’s epic tap-dance-off with a particularly rampant puppet.

The other actors, Andrew Kingston and Kim Heron, give very strong and seemingly exhausting performances as the ever-changing cast of puppets, with Kingston in particular capturing the audience’s laughter with his quick-witted quips. I loved their portrayal of the FBI agents, giving their typically subtle thoughts on the unfolding events.

Overall, the jokes land well, and there are moments of true brilliance – the kind of humour that is almost annoyingly clever. These moments are not few and far between either, with the second half of the show firing a barrage of ingenious gags at us.

While there are also elements that don’t quite work, the narrative never stays on one thing for long, and we’re quickly thrown back into the ‘action’. The second act feels stronger and pacier than the first, as the climax of the story starts to build to its anarchic finale.

The puppeteering is the most ingenious aspect of the piece though, and I adored the use of different perspectives throughout the show, from the very tiny to the rather large. The air vent scene is particularly inspired, with the cop character appearing in various places and sizes around the stage.

Music is provided by Kid Carpet, who has written original songs for the show. These are classic hooky songs that come across as catchy and fun, which is exactly what you want from this type of theatre – depth and nuance would seem misplaced, here.

Like the puppets themselves, the performance itself feels hand-stitched, as though the whole thing could fall apart at any moment. However, I know from experience that to get this feeling, the cast and crew must work their socks off.

It’s clear that a magnitude of time and effort has gone into this show, and although some bits didn’t always work for me, the fabric of the piece is strong and effective.

Though it sometimes strays into overindulgence, the show delights in its own nonsensical and slap-dash approach to puppetry, and it’s a thoroughly entertaining chaotic Christmas mashup.

Photo: The Wardrobe Theatre

MDH: Puppets Do a Movie is at The Wardrobe Theatre from November 30-January 22, 2023 at 7.45pm, with additional 2pm matinee shows on January 7, 14 and 21. Limited tickets are available from www.thewardrobetheatre.com.

All photos: Paul Blakemore

Read more: The Wardrobe Theatre to resurrect smash-hit dark comedy mash-up for Christmas

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: