View source for Dogfall

{{Short description|Play written by Caleb Lewis}}
{{italic title}}
{{use Australian English|date=June 2022}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''''Dogfall''''' is an Australian [[play (theatre)|play]] written by [[South Australian]] playwright [[Caleb Lewis]], first produced in November 2007. Set in [[World War I]], this [[theatre of the absurd|absurdist play]] has an anti-war theme.
== Plot and themes ==
The play travels through time with the central characters of Will, a soldier, and Jack, a medic, appearing in bunker and trench warfare in multiple historical wars; with the play linking the events as one long drawn out war.<ref name=philly/> The play begins in 1916, during the [[Battle of the Somme|Somme]].<ref name=philly/> The battle shifts continuously, and the sky continues to fall... ''Dogfall'' depicts the absurdity of war; outside it is literally raining cats dogs, and other animals.
The two men are joined by "semi-[[pacifist]]" Alousha, and scenes from other theatres of war, notably the [[Vietnam War]], [[Nanking]], [[London]],<ref name=davenport/> [[bombing of Guernica|Guernica]], [[The Troubles|Northern Ireland]], [[Rwanda]],  and [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp]] are portrayed.<ref name=rt2007/> The plot is absurd but the themes complex and multi-layered.<ref name=davenport/>
==Original production==
The first production of this anti-war play was launched at the [[Bakehouse Theatre]] in [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]] from 2 to 17 November 2007. Critic Stephen Davenport described it as a "brilliant play" that was "disturbing and morbidly funny" and "superbly written by Caleb Lewis".<ref name=davenport>{{cite web|url = http://www.theatreguide.com.au/current_site/reviews/pdfs/2007_dogfall.pdf|title = ''Dogfall'' (review)|access-date = 2008-02-16|last = Davenport|first = Stephen|year = 2007|publisher = The Adelaide Theatre Guide}}</ref> US playwright [[Edward Albee]], with whom Lewis had undertaken a two-week workshop, called the play "wonderful".<ref name=rt2007>{{cite journal | title=War at a distance |first=Jonathan |last=Bollen| journal =[[RealTime]] |issue=82 |date= December 2007 – January 2008 |page= 33  | url=https://www.realtime.org.au/war-at-a-distance/ | access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref>
=== Cast ===
The cast comprised:<ref name=ausstage>{{cite web | title=Dogfall | website=AusStage  | url=https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/72580 | access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref><ref name=rt2007/>
*Brendan Rock
*Martin Hissey
*Joseph Del Re
=== Crew ===
*Director: Justin McGuinness<ref name=davenport/><ref name=ausstage/>
*Composer: Peter Nielsen<ref name=ausstage/>
*Lighting: Nic Mollison<ref name=ausstage/>
*Costume & Props: Tsubi Du<ref name=rt2007/>
*Publicity: Antje Guenther<ref name=rt2007/>
*Produced by: TheimaGen<ref name=rt2007/>
==2016 U.S. production==
''Dogfall'' was staged by [[Iron Age Theatre]] in [[Philadelphia]], in the United States, in February 2016, directed by [[John Doyle (director)|John Doyle]].<ref name=philly>{{cite web | title=Iron Age presents Caleb Lewis's 'Dogfall' |first=Mark| last= Cofta| website=Broad Street Review | date=11 February 2016 | url=https://www.broadstreetreview.com/articles/iron-age-presents-caleb-lewiss-dogfall | access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:2007 plays]]
[[Category:2000s Australian plays]]
[[Category:Existentialist plays]]
[[Category:Gulf War fiction]]
[[Category:Plays about the military]]
[[Category:Plays set in Iraq]]
[[Category:Plays set in Kuwait]]
[[Category:Plays set in France]]
[[Category:Plays set in Russia]]
[[Category:Plays set in Vietnam]]
[[Category:Plays about the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:Plays about World War I]]
[[Category:Plays about World War II]]
[[Category:Theatre of the Absurd]]
[[Category:Plays set in Rwanda]]
[[Category:Plays set in Cuba]]
[[Category:Plays set in Spain]]