Dead Dog in a Suitcase is a play that tackles the dark side of human nature. The language used is frank, guttural and realistic on the one side and conformist and ordinary on the other.
The play opens jovially with Kneehigh’s inventive puppet ‘dog’ playing and sniffing around. The dog is killed in conjunction with the assassination of Mayor Goodman. And Pretty Polly Peachum has her innocence taken away by a polygamist. The play has a feel of theatrical Mafia, including contract killers, corrupt policemen and others being on the Peachums’ payroll.
The story is told through vocabulary and song. The ensemble of actors acting and singing, choreography and an onstage quartet brings the piece together with an intimacy that gives a real authenticity. There is a variation within the types of music performed from ska, light opera, alternative rock and post punk which adds to the piece as a whole. What became problematic is that the music told the story along with the script and, unfortunately, the words could not be heard throughout some of the songs.
The violent Punch and Judy open the first scene of the play and act as a link throughout but for the ending, where the aggressive dragon is introduced. Out of a multitude of endings, the one that stood out for me was the last ending. After the Brechtian banners where sent around the stage, the dragon was brought out on the Punch and Judy set.
Lastly, the skeleton of a rapture dinosaur hangs from the eves. There is an explosion and aftermath of white papers all over falling to the floor and on the floor. This gives the impression of a post-apocalyptic earth. When all is said and done, the play points out survival is about money and greed but no one can fight Mother Nature.
Reviewed by Jane Austwick at West Yorkshire Playhouse.
Photos: Steve Turner.