Dog Show is as finely crafted and well-honed a piece of theatre as one will find anywhere in London or beyond. Kandinsky have studied their subject matter thoroughly and have really understood and brilliantly portrayed the relationship between man and his best friend. The anthropomorphising of dogs is well observed, making the acting both tragic and gut-wrenchingly funny.
Dog Show is based upon the true story of Hong Kong’s serial dog killer. Since the late 1980s they would leave cooked chicken laced with purple crystals of Carbofuran, an insecticide that is commonly sold in local florist shops, in parks for dogs to discover. The story is transposed to London and is told through a series of vignettes portraying the park, flats and a dog kennel. There is constant background noise, visually and aurally; a jogger jogging, a radio dj waffling, people playing with their dogs, autumnal leaves dancing around their feet and lovers courting, creating the salmagundi of a stroll in the park.
The stage is minimalist. A square of green carpet with a hat stand bearing chairs as fruit in the centre of the stage, three vertical strip lights at the back of the stage and props and costumes which seem to disappear as one’s attention is drawn to the action in the middle. Litter and leaves are strewn across the stage, increasing as the play progresses. The strip lights are mobile and are used to great effect to mask or highlight people or parts of the stage.
The acting is sublime especially when portraying the dogs. Lisa Kerr’s Greer, a King Charles Cavalier, is so pompous, strutting and cantering with her bottom in the air that one can sense the air of entitlement and royalty that people think of these dogs. When she has a little solo she shows that she is a “star!”. Hamish Macdougall’s Duke romps and cavorts clumsily around the stage. Harriet Webb treats us to the thoughts and smells of Maloney, a seeing eye dog, as she leads the cantankerous Keith (Macdougall) through his daily life. The darling of the show though is Ntonga Mwanza’s Mr. Buttons, a pug. His face is distorted, his breathing is harsh and heavy and his reckless behaviour has the audience in stitches; he actually becomes a pug. A hat must be tipped to the musician, Zac Gvertzman, who creates beautiful atmosphere and tension with reeds and ukulele. The song for Mr. Buttons, to the tune of the shake and vac advert, has amazing harmonies that wash over and through you.
As a person who does not understand dog ownership, or dogs in London for that matter, my eyes were opened to the love and bond between man and dog. The personification that people give to their dog is one that we as the audience can see clearly and, although I am still not convinced, I can see how others have such passion for them and how they can take away the loneliness of those that struggle from day to day in this sometimes cold city.
Dog Show is a play for dog lovers and dog haters alike. It has passion, great acting, great writing and above all is truly funny, funny, funny.
29th Sep – 17th Oct
by Mark Speed
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