The Dog/The Cat
Image: Xavier Samuel & Sheridan Harbridge
Photo: Brett Boardman
When Sheridan Harbridge saw The Dog/The Cat in its downstairs season at Belvoir Street she was captured by its simple, exquisite beauty. Popular demand brings it back to the upstairs theatre and Harbridge could not be happier to be in the ensemble cast.
“You rarely see theatre comedy without a harder twist to it – people are shy of entertainment being too easy in theatre but this is a really clever, witty rom com. It’s a joyous, life affirming experience, where you walk out happy to keep pursuing love as the most important thing in our world”.
Essentially two one-act plays, written consciously to be performed side by side – The Dog, is by Brendan Cowell and The Cat, by Lally Katz. In Cowell’s play, two best mates share a dog and take it to the park – one in the morning and one at night – where they meet a woman with her dog. Their friendship starts to fall as they both start falling for her. In Katz’s play, a couple post break-up, meet in the park every week to exchange custody of their cat. But the cat – who incidentally is obsessed with rapper Nicki Minaj – suddenly begins to express an opinion about the divorce.
Whilst the plays entwine, ‘riffing’ off each other, with recurring jokes and characters, it’s the writing of Katz that Harbridge especially treasures. “It’s always been the type of theatre I want to be a part of and to me it’s a real treat to get to be one of her women. I always find them to be incredibly lovable, flawed and inspirational. It’s great to be a Lally Katz woman.”
April 13 – May 7, Various performance times. Belvoir St Theatre, 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $49-72. Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au or 02 9699 3444.
