The Delights of Dogs

Synopsis : "From the start, it is apparent that James (Duncan Wilkins) is in some kind of trouble with wife Ros (Rosalind Blessed) – he’s guiltily cooking her an anniversary meal to celebrate five years of marriage. But it’s in the language where something feels off – references to being her carer, dealing with her apparent lack of self-belief – that scan as though there is something more sinister at play here. Wilkins does a convincing job of playing happy families, but the premise for The Delights of Dogs and the Problems of People is subtly set-up from the start by Blessed’s intricate writing. The show traces what is clearly an emotionally damaging relationship through the rose-tinted glasses of a perfect couple. University sweethearts, James and Ros go camping together, get the house, dog, wedding dream package and seem to be desperately in love. Only when we look closer do we see the cracks – Blessed’s writing reveals insecurities that are hidden within the core of her character, as well as in his. Body image; low self-esteem; an inability to let go or to let the spouse also be an individual. Blessed doesn’t reveal any violent scenes until the end of the show, a message that abusive behaviour is so often verbal and emotional, with no physical scars as proof. The Delight of Dogs and the Problems of People intertwines past and present narratives to give a more holistic picture of the story, with effective demarcation between time periods so as not to lose the audience. Both characters are real and relatable – Blessed has concocted a set of backgrounds that the audience can instantly connect with. The marriage itself is a tug of war between hate and love, a partnership that at times is considering and at others is damaging. But Blessed also writes in the get-out clause, her character finally mustering the strength to escape before things get too out of control. Life is not a love story and sometimes things don’t work out. This moment is a refreshing, if slightly clichéd touch. As James, Wilkins straddles the line between believable and psychotic – it’s easy to see his manipulation of the situation to turn things to his advantage. Certain more volatile moments come across a bit flat, but the final scene where the cracks are exposed for all to see is a powerful psychotic breakdown. Blessed equally flips between heartfelt and comedic with ease – her single woman monologue is a particularly poignant turning point in the show, an adept unwrapping of her character’s thought processes. Blessed displaces her unrequited love onto her dogs, the faithful companions who don’t require physical attraction to display love. There are some passing details in Blessed’s musings here that should be emphasised more throughout the piece, particularly around how James’ abilities of persuasion are directly related to his level of attraction. People believe him when he spouts untruths about Ros because he is so good looking. The issue with The Delights of Dogs and the Problems of People is that the story isn’t particularly original or fast-moving – there are numerous parts that can easily be cut from the script as they don’t showcase anything of value to the production. But Blessed’s story about man’s best friend works because it’s imperfect, just like a marriage. The result isn’t the happy ending that one might hope for, for either species." (Daniel Perks dans http://www.miromagazine.com/theatre/edinburgh-review-delights-dogs/ )