Doghole Review

ATYP’s reviewing program was created to give young people a platform to voice their opinions and experiences while developing skills in critical reflection. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of ATYP or its staff.

Jeremy Blewitt, Katie Vo in Doghole, 2024. Photo by Robert Hoang – SUDS

09.08.2024

For me, as a member of ATYP’s Youth Advisory Board, Doghole is challenging to review without bias. Doghole was written by YABbie Grace Wilson and put on at Sydney University Dramatic Society (SUDS) by other members of the current YABbie cohort. In any case, the following is my unabridged, biassed take on SUDS’ latest funny, insightful and heartwarming play.

Doghole is a coming-of-age metatheatrical dramedy that examines the relationship young people have with their art and ambitions. Set in rural suburban Queensland in 1999, we follow the story of Dog (Katie Vo), an ambitious teenager obsessed with writing their novel Doghole, as that’s their ticket out of their middle-of-nowhere town. As they write, they are haunted by the great white men of Australian literature, Tim Winton (Daisy Semmler) and Patrick White (Jeremy Blewitt), leading to a crazy, balls-to-the-walls finale where fiction and reality collide.

The theatre in the round style is a new venture for SUDS, but works to the play’s advantage, leaning into the metatheatricality of the script. The barebones set by Sophie Newby, Sophie Wishart and Emily Whiting allows for the actors to fill the space with all their fiery action and delirious humour.

Katie Vo as Dog hits all the right beats of someone finding their place in the world and being accepted by their parents. Daisy Semmler’s mercurial portrayal of Tim Winton juxtaposes nicely against Jeremy Blewitt’s alluring, British, villainous performance as Patrick White. While the ensemble members, Ruby Zupp, Harry Walker and Avigal Holstein, all get their own moment to shine as a comforting mother, larger than life 6th grader and a hysterical teen giving a eulogy to a cow, respectively.

Ruby Zupp, Harry Walker, Avigal Holstein in Doghole, 2024. Photo by Robert Hoang – SUDS

First-time solo director Adelaide Tustian swings for the fences (and hits a home run!) with a bold, fresh take on the coming-of-age genre – guided and aided by stellar sound design from Apollo Storm and Jack Fahd, electrifying lighting design by EJ Zielinski, creative costume design by Max Brogan and superb dance and fight choreography by Georgie Eggleton.

Dog says, “A great play starts with a great opening”, which is true of Doghole, however, a 90-minute play with an artificially implanted intermission leads to a slow, unevenly paced (yet still hilarious!) first act. Audiences can speculate as to whether the cast/crew needed to rearrange the space/costumes so drastically that doing an uninterrupted show would simply be unfeasible, therefore justifying the choice. Yet, the audience still experienced the whiplash of such an abrupt and jarring halt in the middle of the play.

All in all, this entertaining and deeply emotional rollercoaster will leave audiences laughing in delight and tearing up at how well the show makes each individual feel seen. The opening night crowd loved this play, as I’m sure all those who are yet to attend will, so much so that they gave it a well-deserved standing ovation.

★★★★1/2

— Ben