Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs) (Oberon Modern Plays)

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What plays out next is writer Owen Sheers's reimagining of the assault delivered through narrative (Wyn Griffith's memories), description (Jones's poems), reports (a line of typists), letters home and monologues (with occasional dialogues) of soldiers and their loving women. There is also a parallel narrative about Einstein's theory of relativity. The space of drama – which allows audiences to evaluate characters, weigh decisions – is absent. What we are given is educative commemoration – the engagement called for is one of interested sentiment. Given the material, this is willingly rendered. We are in the Age of the Profoundly Stupid and I long, with all my heart and soul, for change and a new age of enlightenment where we can all be global citizens. Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and Other Love Songs) is, as the title suggests, a musical, and the music regularly interspersed throughout the narrative is fitting and borrows from a range of genres; the songs serve to further the narrative and add something to the audience’s understanding of the characters. The music, composed by Charles Hazlewood, is performed live on stage and creates a music concert feel to the piece and allows for a repartee between the band and the actors; indeed some of the band take on roles as part of Mac’s gang and the actors themselves all play an instrument to contribute to the soundscape. In the same spirit of immersion, the set designed by Michael Vale is a fantastic and intricate scaffolding that the actors climb up and down and repurpose to suit the needs of the scene, all done underneath an ever present noose that hangs as a warning and reminder of our characters’ inevitable fate. Second Floor and You the Living, Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief his Wife and her Lover, Breaking Bad, the Marx Brothers and Jan Švankmajer. I stumbled across a Punch and Judy show and thought that Mr Punch (the Lord of Misrule and anarchy personified) was like Macheath. Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs) director Mike Shepherd discusses his research and vision for the production.

Strong performances abound… A genuinely powerful ensemble performance. It’s an evening that is continually fascinating.”– Oldham Evening Chronicle Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.

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But in the peak of summer it can receive more than 130,000 a month, including 8,400 cruelty reports. When Carl announced the title was to be ‘Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs)’ there were raised eyebrows and pleas for us to change it to something more “accessible” but we held out. It seemed an important statement of intent that he wasn’t simply adapting John Gay’s original but radically re-writing it. Having been fired up we now wanted to leap far away from the comfort zone. As Carl wrote at the time: “….the story of a dead dog in a suitcase is a famous urban myth (google it) It’s a modern folklore and that feels like what our Beggar’s Opera is too. If John Gay’s was highwaymen, prostitutes and street thieves then ours is about the mythic underbelly of NOW-corporate conspiracy, hit men, weirdowarped Robin Hood types, the end of civilisation, dead dogs in suitcases…I mean what the HELL is the world coming to?”

Wild and anarchic and often very funny… The cast works as a perfect ensemble. It’s all very entertaining… Very much of and for our time. ”– British Theatre Guide Dr Leanne Calvert, a folklore expert and history lecturer at Hertfordshire University, agrees adding, “the ‘dead dog in a suitcase’ story thrives in urban areas arguably because it is a social comment on unreasonable bosses and the pressures of work and crime and distrust in cities. Would you ever take a stranger's offer to carry your bag off a train in London? That's a red flag for most people.” Finally, director Mike Shepherd highlights a parallel between the story of our antihero Macheath and that of Mr Punch (of Punch and Judy fame) through the use of puppetry, expertly led by Sarah Wright at this performance as chief puppeteer. From Punch, to dogs and crying babies, the puppets serve to remind the audience how ridiculous and pantomimic the actions of the real world characters can seem at times, forcing us to question who the real heroes and villains are in our society. The white and tan Staffordshire bull terrier cross was discovered inside a purple-wheeled holdall, partially wrapped in a child’s pink fleece top in a wooded area in Alexander Street on Sunday, November 12. This brilliant musical satire delivers a forceful and hefty theatrical punch… One of the best ensembles I have seen for some time.”– North West EndUnfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. Dave Holgate, from the RSPCA, said: "Litter is one of the biggest hazards our wildlife faces today - and it’s something that’s very easy to resolve. The young woman was horrified and felt very guilty. After all, she had unknowingly been the cause of the dog’s death. She didn’t want to tell the family and ruin their holiday. At the same time, she had to find some way to dispose of the dog because it was beginning to decompose. She wasn’t sure what to do with a dead dog. Inspector for the charity, Robyn Myszor, said: “The dog was a white and tan male entire Staffordshire bull terrier cross. Read More Related Articles

Dominic Marsh's Macheath has sufficient reserves of baby-faced charm to get away with murder. Carly Bawden's peerless Polly Peachum is the prim heir to a pilchard fortune, and there's a fine turn from Rina Fatania as her vulgarian mother, who turns out to be the real criminal mastermind of the operation. The macabre concluding tableau is either a thrilling alternative to Gay's slightly pat ending, or a grotesque over-compensation. But true to form, Kneehigh have come up with a piece that is not the Beggar's Opera so much as an opera which beggars belief. You don’t realise quite how much this play has grabbed you till the closing moments. Absolutely brilliant. Another fantastic example of the quality theatre that HOME is bringing to Manchester.”– Quiet Man Dave A compelling piece of theatre… One of the most joyful experiences you’ll have in a theatre this year.”– Haus of Phag

STAGE TALK

We would always urge the public to take extra care to dispose of their rubbish responsibly so animals aren’t hurt. We’re grateful to the firefighters for their help - it’s a great example of what we can achieve together for animal welfare." An investigation has been launched after children found a dead dog stuffed in a suitcase in Airdrie. I also read Brechts’ version The Threepenny Opera and wrote one sentence from Brecht in my dayto-day notebook: “the world is poor and man’s a shit”. This resonated and prompted me to meet with long time Kneehigh performer, writer and marvellous man Carl Grose.

Robyn Myszor added: “We are appealing for anyone who has seen someone with this particular holdall within the area around that time.Echoing Gay’s original, the live score plunders the sounds of our times. Trip hop combines with folk, Renaissance polyphony with psychedelia, ska with grime and dubstep to create a gorgeous and powerful musical mix. We are appealing for anyone who has seen someone with this particular holdall within the area around that time. One summer, a young woman was house-sitting for a family who were away on vacation. They lived in a large downtown apartment and she was tasked with taking care of their dog, a golden retriever.