The Dogs Logs

Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking?  I know I often see how dogs are treated and think to myself “and these people call themselves dog lovers?”  Tonight at Javeenbah’s performance of The Dog Logs we had some insight into how dogs think and the part we humans play in their lives.

In this show the playwright, C J Johnson, has created a series of monologues telling the unique stories of a selection of our canine friends.  The show opens with a variety of dog puppets which were very cleverly created and operated by the cast.  Given there was no storyline to follow, this show was going to be a hard ask when it comes to engaging your audience, inviting them to go on a journey with some very distinct doggy characters.  But Jocelyn Moore-Carter has put together a very talented cast of performers, bringing great energy and enthusiasm to their breeds. 

Some of the dogs’ stories were sad, a lot were funny and some were even moving as the pooches negotiate emotions such as love, friendship, libido and death.   A particular favourite for me was Sparky the kelpie with the hilarious antics of the cast as sheep.   

The show was performed with a minimal set which is fine by me.  A photo of each dog was projected onto a screen as it was portrayed.  A couple of the humans had collars whilst portraying their dogs and I think other cast members could have benefited from this tiny form of costuming. 

Lee Patterson