Review: Dog Sees God

Reviewed by Jodi Yeats

The Peanuts characters have grown into seriously messed up teenagers in Dog Sees God, a cult play penned by first-time playwright Bert V Royal after quitting his job as a casting director.

This production in Auckland is by the Moving Theatre Company, which is made up of accomplished actors, and it is directed by Sophie Roberts.

As Dog Sees God has not been authorised by the Charles M Schultz, the characters are mainly re-named or code-named.

Hence, Byron Coll is a superb “CB” with a bald pate and trademark jumper. He is the most empathetic character who manages to be both a bit of a loser and quite cool.

Natalie Medlock is superb as his unhinged ex-girlfriend, now in a lunatic asylum, but her part contributes little to the storyline and has a sense of being there mainly to represent one of the original Peanuts characters.

Sophie Henderson plays a very different character to her Outrageous Fortune part as CB’s Goth sister and she is another likeable character who is trying to be herself, unlike the Lucy character and her friend who are painfully trying to be smart.

The Linus character, Van (Sam Bunkall) is a vacant stoner, who even smoked his blanket.

As you would expect, the play is funny, as well as very dark. Dog Sees God is a cult hit overseas and described in publicity as “the teenage rebellion Generation Y has been yearning for”.

For me, the writing is uneven, the plot bleak and it builds to a truly disturbing climax.

On the one hand, it is a powerful and thought-provoking play, on the other it is violent and upsetting. I couldn’t recommend it to fellow sensitive viewers or anyone feeling low.

If you’re feeling strong, or perhaps are the right generation, this is an excellent production of an edgy play with some strong messages and a great bunch of actors.

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a teenage blockhead
The Moving Theatre Company
R 18
At The Basement until Saturday, 9 October

Adults $20/Students and concession $16
Buy tickets
or ph 361 1000