Dog

Overview

Head to Tiger Beer's Fortune Avenue to go in the draw to win tickets to Dog.

The intimately cavernous Basement Theatre was a full house on preview night of Ben Hutchison's Dog, prodding me close to the action in makeshift front row seating. As the crowd settled, I took some time to observe the play's set—the flat of a no-nonsense war Veteran Neville, who keeps a blacklist of barred visitors framed in the lounge. His home is a familiar and believable space filled with memorabilia, knickknacks and anonymous art reproductions. Its resemblance to my grandfather's one room apartment was disconcerting, keeping the premise of the story in mind .

As lights dim, the focus shifts upon Neville, played by Mick Innes, seated on the couch, arms around a grey mass of fur. He puts on a record we will hear many times in the coming hour and a half. The jaunty tune of ‘There's a Pawn Shop on The Corner’ by Guy Mitchell warbles away, until it is interrupted by his disgruntled flatmate Olivia storming into the house. We soon find out that Nev's furry friend is a dog that has been dead for over a week. Nev has committed to playing the deceased Toyota's favourite track 21 times, before holding a funeral.

Enter Gareth Williams as Warwick, the dorky neighbour who is, by turns, endearing and annoying. He makes his infatuation with Olivia (Shavaughn Ruakere) obvious fast, but she staunchly refuses his advances. However, it's not long before Warwick is roped in to help Nev with preparations for Toyota's funeral, and we witness the relationships between the three characters unfold.

Dog is a thoughtful, tender story wrapped up in some mighty humorous exchanges, skillfully delivered by the actors. For a play that broaches the hefty themes of loneliness, disappointment, failure and death, it is pleasantly funny and engaging. Williams, Innes and Ruakere have good chemistry on stage and, barring a few stutters, carry the dialogue with natural ease. There were some predictable moments in the script, but they where atoned for by heart and wit.

You know you've done something right when, as the play concludes, an atmosphere of hesitation hangs about the audience—nobody seemed to want to part with the characters we'd become so involved with. I would highly recommend you pop yourself down to the Basement to see Dog.