theatre

A brightly lit warm stage… Endless greenery… A quaint park bench… Lively music and bubbles…

This is the home of The Dog Logs, the latest production of Hunters Hill Theatre currently playing at Club Ryde. It’s impossible not to know who lives here – if the dog bowl, ruined newspapers, and the can of trash weren’t clues enough – and I anxiously wait to see just how we’ll be introduced to man’s best friend; the animal I cannot get enough of.

Of course, despite the pitch I was given to attend opening night – The Dog Logs is not just for the Dog Lover. Yes, this is a play where the only characters have four legs, but writer CJ Johnson’s script has so much heart. Structured as a string of monologues detailing the various life stories of a host of different breeds – from an Excitable Jack Russell to a pampered Chihuahua to a policing Kelpie – we are initially reeled in by the absurdity of it all, but our attention is quickly grabbed by something much deeper, much more human: the ways in which our furry companions reflect back on us.

It’s a daunting task and one that I think Director Maggie Scott has tackled head-on. This isn’t her first time staging this production, and it’s clear she has a nuanced understanding of the line that needs to be walked between human and canine. It’s a subtle, sophisticated approach; a scratch here, a hip swing, a limp. Bright collars and simple costume additions – take for instance, the hilarious running outfit worn by a racing Greyhound that just Can’t. Catch. That. Rabbit. Each dog is introduced by a stereotypical, rather nostalgic pop song of the early 2000s that has the audience in fits of laughter.

A bold choice – but creativity is only best when it is brave. And none are so brave then the four actors who give us these thoughts of Dog. Anthony Slaven is loveable as the larger than life and energetic breeds. Keeping the liveliness of the night high, Slaven is always warmly welcomed back on stage after the more delicate and vulnerable moments of the evening. Many of which are craftly ignited by Ross Alexander, who weaves longer tales (no pun intended) that captivate, ignite and in the case of a particular aging Labrador – pinch you right in the childhood. Kirit Chaudhary gives a highly varied performance by embracing the extremes of each of his breeds. Wittingly charming as a lazy, sleepy mongrel and terrifying as a powerful and aggressive Rottweiler; each take was dangerous and exciting.

But one can’t help but think that in many ways Brooke Davidson had the biggest challenge of them all. The only woman in the play, there is only so much that can be given when her dogs are written as spoilt and pampered quote on quote ‘b*tches’ who don’t know what’s good for them. You could see Davidson’s envision of her dogs as more – complicated and decisive – and it was clear over the night her rebellion against what could have easily been a one stroke performance. All I can say is go show ‘em and well done.

Whether you are constantly questioning what your dog may be thinking or wanting a piece of theatre that doesn’t tell you what you should think, but instead invites you to join a conversation – The Dog Logs is for you. I give a huge congratulations to everyone involved in this production. A limited season ending on April 2nd – don’t miss your chance to see this moving take on love, loss, connection, and friendship all through the eyes of nature’s best friend.

The Dogs Logs – Hunters Hill Theatre

• Friday 24 March 2023 – 7:30 PM
• Saturday 25 March 2023 – 2:00PM AND 7:30 PM
• Sunday 26 March 2023 – 2:00 PM
• Friday 31 March 2023 – 7:30 PM
• Saturday 01 April – 2:00PM AND 7:30 PM
• Sunday 02 April – 2:00 PM

This review also appears in On The House

Photography Courteousy of Dan Ferris

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