one4review | On 20, Aug 2024

The pitch of this show is simple – The Scooby-Doo Gang All Grown Up (and Minus the Dog). And that was all I needed for it to pull me in. Scooby-Doo is the sort of cultural artifact that now seems to exist more in parodies and meta-reworkings than it ever did as a cartoon and I personally love seeing all the new angles that can be put on it.

And this show certainly has angles. After their comedy dog is brutally killed in the opening scene, the characters go their separate ways and we rejoin them years later when it seems that the heartless dog-icidal maniac has again resurfaced and someone needs to bring the squad back together.

There is not much in the way of grand changes to the Scooby-Doo lineup in the main cast here, there’s still a Shaggy, a Velma and so on, just under slightly changed names. Along with the expected gags inherent in taking cartoon teenagers and plopping them into grown-up situations (the Velma-stand in is now a drug addict, the Daphne a soulless wannabe celebrity) there’s actually some really nice character work exploring the effects of trauma and what happens when you peak too early. In fact, the only thing the characters lack is any sort of arc. After the initial horrific incident, the characters remain with their new traits all the way through to the end, making the show feel more like a pilot episode in some ways. That said, I’d happily watch more.

The writing, the acting, the silliness and the jokes were all top notch. Tin Can Bros is a theatre group with a lot of existing fans, and there was a buzz in the room the moment the lights went down for this production and it’s clear to see why – these meddling kids are going places.

*****
Reviewed by Tom
Assembly George Square Studios – Studio Two
18.40 (1hr)
Until 25th Aug