20170828

Working with Animals #1


One thing they always tell you in acting college these days is never to work with children or animals. To some extent I can see the logic. Animals have no theatrical training, miss their cues and poo on the stage. It’s like working with Alan Alder. 

But get it right and an animal can be as rich and moving in performance as the finest Dulwich Amateur Dramatics society can offer. 

I remember doing a Jungle Book for which, as a publicity idea, we had a real live tiger in the cast. I leapt at the opportunity. But not in the same way the tiger leapt at the first three rows, savaging and tearing asunder the flesh of the audience in a pre-show review. 

I can certainly say that a critique will always be more negative when many of the reviewers have their obituary in the same paper on the same day. But I pressed on with the show despite the screaming and ambulances, as we professionals are bid to do.