Theatre should never be fluffy, light and funny.
Theatre doesn’t have to be all woe and wrath.
Getting the mix bang on is the skill, an expertise Douglas Maxwell demonstrates beautifully with Man’s Best Friend, a thought-provoking and sharply witty 75 minutes of theatre that never fails to keep you guessing as its various threads weave into a satisfying whole.
A man trying to live in the moment, Ronnie is a dog-walker with a lot on his mind. Along with his daily charges – Albert, Carlos, Coriander, Fury and Rex – he visits the local park, avoiding the woodlands beyond.
There, during his daily routine, he introduces his nemeses, fellow dog-walkers Jenna, a woman who prioritises her dogs’ spiritual needs, and alpha male, Rosco, the pack leader of his troop of hounds. To them, Ronnie is a rank amateur, although as he puts it, he is a ‘poo bin sat nav’.
