REVIEW: Good Dog - Northern Stage, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

Set in a multicultural community in North London, Good Dog portrays a hard-hitting and compelling twist on a coming-of-age story through the eyes of a quickly-maturing boy. With the aim of showcasing the reasons which lead up to the 2011 riots, the production delves into the lives of dozens of community members whom the boy observes on a daily basis, each with their own story to tell.

With a somewhat decontextualised but boisterous start in order to set up the environment, Good Dog demands to be heard. In the style of a continuous monologue and use of one actor, Arinzé Kene’s writing is brought to life through speech, music of the decade and frequent audio voice-overs of unseen characters to immerse the audience within the community and quickly become attached to the main, and only, on-stage character. Occasionally, the voice-over timing and the actor’s own duplication became slightly out of time, nevertheless it fearlessly showcased the reality of faded love, broken dreams and neglect within a community struggling with crime, gangs and police brutality.

Kwaku Mills shines as the boy, constantly captivating the audience with his gripping storytelling; not an easy feat considering the hearty length of the piece. He effortlessly shows the ongoing journey of his character from innocence to experience, slowly letting go of his “Goodness will mow you down” mantra in lieu of “passing on the hit”. Often using Amelia Jane Hankin’s set, a towering wooden-slatted cube set as the only piece on stage, Mills adds a spice of physicality to his performance. From clambering around the piece to standing on top smoking, the set is used to the full. His physical performance continues as he acts out being beaten-up by his former school bully, writhing and jerking on the floor as the audience could envisage completely each punch and kick he received.

Bold and poignant, Good Dog is a flowing story which comes full circle to contextualise the 2011 riots and express the systematic injustices apparent in society in an attempt to humanise the one-sided ‘violence and fury’ portrayed by the media at the time, manifesting itself in an unflinching and vital piece of theatre to see.

Reviewer - Neve Francis
on - 9/2/19