I sat down with writer, tech entrepreneur and director Ajay Chowdhury to find out more ahead of DOG MOM, which comes to Southwark Playhouse Borough this October.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
Dog Mom is a funny and moving play in which human actors play both the people and the dogs are played by humans. And they have plenty to say! Anyone who has a dog will recognise the chaotic energy, the lovable weirdness and the absolute conviction that you are the centre of their universe.
The story follows Sarita, an Indian-American woman in her fifties rebuilding her life after divorce, in a cramped Brooklyn apartment. She craves independence, order and absolutely no responsibility for anyone else. So, naturally, she ends up fostering an old golden retriever It’s supposed to be temporary. The dog has other ideas.
She’s soon overwhelmed by a world of dog parks and intrusive dog owners – not to mention an overfamiliar, know-it-all neighbour with a nosey dog of her own. Some of the most hilarious dialogue is between the two dogs. So there’s a lot to laugh at, but at its heart, the play is about starting again and letting someone get close when that’s the last thing you think you want.
What drew you to this specific story?
In the US production, the lead was a white American woman in her mid-thirties. We’ve made her a couple of decades older and Indian-American, which brings a different perspective. Starting again in your fifties comes with rather more baggage, and that interested me.
Our cast is diverse – Indian, American, Black, White, reflecting the cosmopolitan feel of a big city. They all bring their own perspectives and that gives us a lot to work with when exploring the characters and their relationships.
Between cast and crew, we have ten dogs and one cat so that’s a lot of knowledge and experience. I suspect the dog lovers in the audience will find quite a lot that’s familiar! (Cat owners were not consulted.)
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
Honestly, getting through rehearsals without laughing or tearing up ourselves! The play is so beautifully written that the words just sing. Our job has been to find the truth in the characters and give those moments room.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
We are so lucky to have assembled a veritable design dream team. Sean Cavanagh on set, Ollie Brown on lighting and Naveen Bhatia on sound.
Sean came up with a set made up of 56 video screens. Selected screens reproduce vivid, expressive images that work alongside the action without explicitly mirroring it. Southwark Playhouse have told us it’s the most ambitious set they’ve ever had in the space.
Ollie’s lighting and Naveen’s sound designs also provide a visceral sense of place, with music, city sounds and original compositions.
We decided early on that we wanted to leave plenty to the audience’s imagination. So the set, light and sound subtly melds together, leaving space for the audience to be drawn in and immersed in Sarita’s world.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Dog Mom is an offbeat and heartfelt comedy about starting over, finding your people, and learning that love occasionally arrives covered in mud.
That says it all!
DOG MOM makes its UK debut at Southwark Playhouse Borough, London, on 14 October – 7 November. Tickets available at https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/dog-mom/
