Archived

The Dog
/ The Cat

The Dog by Brendan Cowell
The Cat by Lally Katz
Director Ralph Myers

 

  • Venue Upstairs Theatre
  • Dates 13 April – 7 May 2017
  • Duration 100 mins (inc. interval)

    Back by Popular Demand!

    This double bill was a sleeper hit when it played Downstairs in 2015. Now it returns, this time on the Upstairs stage.

    The Dog, Brendan Cowell’s not-so-flattering portrait of the tricky line between mateship and romance, and of the insatiable appetite of Jack Russells for the most disgusting things they can find.

    And The Cat, Lally Katz’s fable of the perils of co-owning a feline with your ex, and the things a cat would say if he was allowed to speak his mind.

    Lally and Brendan and Ralph managed to reinvent the rom-com for the stage in a way that was completely beguiling and very, very funny. It was clear at the end of its season that its life was far from over. – Eamon

    Warning: This production contains strobe lighting effects, haze, mild coarse language and adult themes.

    Team

    The Dog by Brendan Cowell
    The Cat by Lally Katz
    Directed by Ralph Myers
    Redirected by Anthea Williams
    Set Designer Ralph Myers
    Costume Designer Mel Page
    Lighting Designer Damien Cooper
    Composer & Sound Designer Stefan Gregory
    Associate Composer & Sound Designer Riley McCullagh
    Stage Manager Bella Kerdijk
    Assistant Stage Manager Katie Hankin

    Cast

    Sheridan Harbridge
    Benedict Hardie
    Xavier Samuel

    Production images by Brett Boardman

    Reviews

    • Writer’s Note: Brendan Cowell

      Writer of The Dog

      I have realised of late that I have no imagination. Or, perhaps, do not rely on it when it comes to storytelling. Everything I write seems to be derived from my own experience on earth as a human. I can’t, or don’t seem to be able to invent a new planet where a variety of creatures live. A place with its own currency, its own demons, its own values, food and terrestrials. I am not that smart. Or maybe I’m just not that interested. I’ve always liked movies and books set in backyards and kitchens, and more recently bars and bedrooms. I like talking films, talking plays, about talking people. So here is the next instalment of my failure to invent ghouls and vampires and tree-headed-space-horse-children. Here is a play about love in a park, based on my own experiences of co-owning a dog and talking to people in parks, or ignoring people in parks which is, sadly, often more my go. This is a play about three people in their early thirties, who are on the cusp of big decisions in their lives. It’s a play about the importance of pets in our lives, and how different or not different we are when it comes to love and bravery.

      It was a joy to be back in the room with Ralph and Lally, two of my favourite old mates from the theatre planet. The theatre planet. Where creatures have their own currency, demons, values and terrestrials. Perhaps I do have an imagination.

      NB: No animals were harmed in the making of this Writer’s Note.

    • Writer’s Note: Lally Katz

      Writer of The Cat

      Ralph Myers first approached me about writing a play about a broken up couple and their cat four years ago when I was recovering from surgery at the Regents Court Hotel.  I’d gotten sick thanks to a psychic’s curse when we were about to open Stories I Want to Tell You in Person, also at Belvoir. Ralph had recently broken up with his wife, but they were still sharing a cat. He thought that a broken up couple sharing a pet would make a good story. I like Ralph, relationships and animals in plays, so I thought it would make a good story too. I wrote a few scenes and Ralph and I met and talked about it a lot while I was recovering, but then we forgot about it. Time passed and Ralph and Brendan Cowell started sharing a dog. Ralph got in touch again and suggested we produce a double bill: a play written by Brendan about two men sharing a dog, and a play written by me about the cat breakup. By then I’d had a recent breakup of my own – so I had plenty of material!

      This play first went on Downstairs at Belvoir in 2015. It is one of the shows I am proudest to be part of. It gave me nothing but joy to work on. I hope that it will give you joy in this return season Upstairs at Belvoir. In between the play’s first season and this one, I got married in Las Vegas.

    Keep up to date with the latest news at Belvoir