Dogbarked will gnaw on your funny bone

Stellar cast, unique set and rural humour combine to generate howls of laughter

When asked what they’d like to see again to celebrate Dancing Sky Theatre’s 20th anniversary, the audience voted for Dogbarked. They backed up those votes by howling with laughter on opening weekend.

With playwright James O’Shea in the audience on Sunday, director Angus Ferguson and his company staged what must be the definitive version of the 2002 play.

The set is a gem: a house front with a screen door that emits a perfect screech. There’s a car seat-lounge chair, F-series vintage Saskie licence plates and more.

The story starts with Godot-like absurdity as brothers Roland (Aaron Hursh) and Baxter (Joshua Beaudry) do pretty much next to nothing on their porch. Actually, Roland thinks he’s busy. He builds a soup can beer bottle holder, fusses with his socks and punctures a blood blister. Just another day.

The pair have decided to name their corner of the world Dogbarked. They’ve got big dreams of building a huge dog statue to attract tourists, but you know it’s just talk.

In a strange coincidence, a TV commercial producer and his production assistant — Torien Cafferata as Leo and Elizabeth Nepjuk as Gloria — show up looking for a lost dog. They’re from Toronto. You can imagine the reception they’re given.

Dogbarked isn’t an easy play to describe, partly because the humour is hard to translate. But here’s one joke: Gloria asks Baxter if he’s wearing CK One cologne. No, he says. WD-40.

Maybe it’s easier to define what Dogbarked isn’t. It’s not cliched, despite all the rural humour. Listen to the surprisingly sophisticated way Roland and Baxter speak. They like to think they are “bright, freethinking spirits in a modern pastoral setting.”

And most of the expected antiToronto stuff dissipates early. Gloria’s attitude is decidedly not arrogant, particularly after

she’s given free rein to raid the garden.

Beyond the structure of the play is the stellar work of the cast, led by Beaudry, who is an absolute delight as Baxter. He’s wearing a Labatt’s Light T-shirt to which he’s added “I hate” in marker. He plays the bossy big brother well and he’s got a perpetual edge of hostility that’s both truthful and hilarious.

You’ll have to find out for yourself which way the story goes, but it’s fair to say that O’Shea doesn’t try to get more out of it than there is, other than the odd late introduction of a non-working perpetual motion machine. But the theme of finding peace with yourself comes through in a surprisingly gentle way.

As a bonus, if you go outside at intermission for some fresh country air, you’ll likely hear a dog bark.