London's theatre scene is set for a delightfully chaotic injection of canine crime-fighting next summer. Dog Man: The Musical, the acclaimed stage adaptation of Dav Pilkey's phenomenally successful comic book series, will receive its European premiere at the Southbank Centre in 2026.
From Page to Stage: A Decade of Dog Man
The production, first seen off-Broadway in 2019, marks a significant milestone. Its London arrival will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the publication of the first Dog Man book. The character, a police officer who gains a dog's head after a life-saving surgery, originally appeared in Pilkey's earlier Captain Underpants series before spinning off into his own adventures.
The musical is cleverly framed as a show created by George and Harold, the fictional best friends Pilkey presents as the comic's creators. It weaves together storylines from popular instalments like A Tale of Two Kitties and Lord of the Fleas, bringing beloved characters to life. Audiences can expect to meet the dastardly feline Petey, his good-hearted clone Lil' Petey, the robot 80-HD, and the cyborg fish Flippy.
Critical Acclaim and Global Popularity
The show, aimed at children aged five and over, enjoyed several sell-out seasons in New York and toured successfully across the United States. A review in the New York Times praised Jen Wineman's "breezy" direction and choreography, as well as Tim Mackabee's set and puppet designs that preserve the books' comic-book aesthetic.
Critic Laurel Graeber also highlighted Brad Alexander's "high-energy score" and Kevin Del Aguila's lyrics, which cleverly parody literary classics like the works of Charles Dickens. The source material's popularity is undeniable: the Dog Man series has sold more than 70 million copies worldwide and been translated into approximately 50 languages.
A Growing Multimedia Phenomenon
The stage show is part of a major expansion for the franchise. In the past year alone, a Dog Man movie and a video game, Mission Impawsible, have been released. The 14th book in the series, Big Jim Believes, was published in November 2024.
Author and illustrator Dav Pilkey has expressed his immense satisfaction with the musical adaptation, stating it "surpassed my highest expectations" and left him in "complete awe." He described the production as "the perfect mash-up of memorable music, humour and love."
Dog Man: The Musical will run at the Southbank Centre from 30 July to 16 August 2026, promising a summer of hilarious, heart-warming entertainment for families across the capital.
