Review: Snoopy! The Musical
Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre

I DEFY anyone to walk out of Snoopy! The Musical without a feeling of delight.
KickStArt Theatre Company’s latest offering, based on the Charles M. Schulz comic strip, Peanuts, delivers an evening of delicious musical comedy, thanks to a host of catchy songs and perfectly pitched performances.

With music by Larry Grossman and Hal Hackady, and a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace, Snoopy! offers theatre-goers a series of comic strip vignettes featuring the melancholy Charlie Brown (Bryan Hiles), his pet dog, Snoopy (Steven Stead), sister Sally (Katy Moore), and their friends, Lucy (Carol Trench), Linus (Graeme Wicks) and Peppermint Patty (Caitlin Kilburn).

Snoopy made his first appearance in Schulz’s much-loved comic strip in October 4, 1950. Stead has enormous fun playing the wildly imaginative, supremely confident beagle, who disdains the usual doggy tricks in favour of being a World War I flying ace and great writer. It’s wonderful to see Stead, who makes light work of the song and dance sequences, back on stage performing.

He and Evashnee Pillay, who plays the little yellow bird, Woodstock, have great chemistry. One of my favourite moments from the show is Woodstock looking to Snoopy for advice when he falls in love with a worm. He’s not terribly sympathetic saying that Woodstock’s romance would be like him falling in love with dog food.
Pillay, a beautiful dancer, delivers a silent performance which speaks volumes thanks to her expressive face and a range of props.

I also enjoyed the ensemble number, Edgar Allan Poe, in which Charlie Brown and his friends wonder why teachers only call on you when you don’t know the answer to a question.

Hiles delivers a perfectly judged performance as the melancholy five-year-old who cannot understand why his dog behaves the way he does, and wishes his sister would be less of an annoyance and that his friends were more understanding.

Trench, who has returned to Durban from her home in Norway to star in the musical, almost steals the show as know-it-all Lucy, who annoys Snoopy and delivers ‘advice’ to Charlie Brown from her psychiatric booth.

One of the stand-out moments of the musical is her rendition of Poor Sweet Baby, in which she offers solace to Charlie Brown. It’s the perfect showcase for Trench’s voice.

Wicks is well cast as Linus and his portrayal of the distraught child waiting for his (security) blanket on wash day will live long in my mind, as will Linus’ hopeful vigil in the pumpkin patch as he awaits the arrival of the Great Pumpkin.

‘Maritzburg-born Kilburn’s feisty Peppermint Patty and Moore’s pert little Sally are also fun to watch. Patty’s lament about her nose and desire for her face to change so it is less noticeable is sweetly poignant.

The action takes place on a simple, brightly coloured set designed by Greg King and lit by Tina le Roux.

And tucked away behind Snoopy’s dog house are Justin Southey on piano and Bruce Baker on drums. They provide the musical accompaniment to songs like Clouds, Where Did That Little Dog Go?, Daisy Hill, the catchy Don’t Be Anything Less Than Everything You Can Be (known to KickStArt’s many fans thanks to the annual panto) and The Big Bow-Wow.

In Snoopy! The Musical, Stead and his co-director, Charon Williams Ros, have created rounded characters and a show which is both funny and deeply meaningful.
If you have not yet booked seats to see this family-friendly musical, then do so now. It’s a simply unmissable treat!
Estelle Sinkins

• Snoopy! The Musical is at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on the University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College campus until August 23.
Showtimes are 7 pm Tuesday to Saturday, with matinees at 1.30 pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets range from R130 to R200 (R110 to R180 for children under 12 and pensioners) and booking is through Computicket. Please note: the show is not recommended for children under six years old.