In another of the wonderful multi-character solo performances to grace this year’s TAHI Festival, not only does Stephen Papps manifest a dozen roles, including a couple of dogs, he also voices an astonishing array of sound effects to punctuate his poignant tale. Move over, Gerald McBoing-Boing (younger readers, Google him).

Co-written by Papps and Damon Andrews, who also directs, Social Animal is marketed with the strap line, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks… can you?” The publicity image above it is symbolic, not literal. The only ‘set’ on Te Auaha’s Tapere Iti stage is a weathered park bench, dedicated to someone who died in 1951, with the inscription, “Gone but not forgotten.” Joseph Quigley’s casual dismissal of it, while on a walk through the green belt overlooking Wellington harbour, will come back to haunt him.

Joseph likes to think he is well-known because he plays the leading role of DI Frank Parks in a primetime murder mystery series set in a small rural town. Season 11 has been completed, and he and his agent, Janice, are waiting for season 12 to get the green light. Meanwhile his wife, Vicki, works as a shop assistant, gets passed over for promotion and would like dog. Joseph is not keen …

The plotline is described as a “roller-coaster”. Fair enough. It starts at the top and twists and turns mostly downward with a bit of an upturn to warm our beating hearts and an ironic twist that turns the greatest indignity into a positive. Because unexpected turns of event are the cleverly crafted play’s stock-in-trade, I must be circumspect in what else I reveal.  

We get a glimpse of Frank’s ruthlessly professional persona and come to understand Joseph has a soft heart despite his attempts to hide it. A theme of fame versus obscurity / status versus irrelevance / recognition versus mistaken identity, dogs Joseph’s footsteps. And yes, a ‘retired’ champion greyhound who has escaped from death row becomes a key character. His physical and facial personifications of a Shih Tzu and the Greyhound are priceless.  

Papps’ Joseph makes us privy to phone calls and takes us on walks, to dog parks, on a bus, to a film crew wrap party … magically manifesting other characters en route. There is an encounter with a cop, more than one compromising position – and he does it all, including sound effects, with a fluent ease that belies the great skill he brings to it – abetted by Andrews as Director and their technical operator, Georgia Yeats.

To use a Greyhound Racing metaphor, Social Animal is one out of the box: a winner.

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Veteran stage and screen actor Stephen Papps brings this new solo show to the opening weekend of the Hamilton Arts Festival – Toi Ora ki Kirikiriroa.

Performing in the Medici Court, a small outdoor amphitheatre in the Italian Renaissance Garden, it’s a lovely setting with the audience close to the action.

Social Animal is a comic take on the life of a middle-aged actor, also named Stephen Papps. Stephen is a bit of a man-child; self-absorbed, married to Vicky and stuck between waiting for the next big role and picking up jobs to pay the bills.

The script examines the vagaries of work and one’s great expectations versus the somewhat dim realities. Add in complication of a sinking relationship and slightly accidental dog ownership, and there’s plenty to explore.

He starts with a conversational introduction, like we’re old friends and reveals his earnest hopes for a part in a new biblical epic. Stephen feels his experience deserves ‘A Big Part’, in fact ‘The Big Part’, not to mention it’d help bankroll Vicky’s desire for a designer dog.

The rest of the show explores what happens next.

The show is prop free with Papps skilfully taking on all the work of multiple scenes and 12 characters, both human and canine. Stephen is our slightly hapless everyman, never quite getting the hang of his phone, both self-absorbed and soft-hearted. 

Vicky and other characters are introduced through physical and vocal changes and Papps moves between these seamlessly, although I am slightly put off by the casual costume of khakis and hat and wonder briefly if blacks would work better?

As well as the breathy, somewhat naïve Vicky, we meet chain-smoking, sweary agent Janice, droll local dog trainer Heather and various neighbours, police and dog owners.

It’s impressive for a performer to embody and sustain a big range of characters and the script is well-written and full of humorous insights and revelations.

While I appreciated the elements of caricature necessary to the story, I feel Vicky is somewhat infantilised with a voice that seems unrealistically childlike for a woman of 50.

Papps uses the space well, moving around the stage creating settings, action and relationships. He’s a whizz at vocal effects to enhance the action – birds, dogs, sirens, cars and a few less savoury. The post-party bathroom scene is a highlight.

He also really shines in the canine roles, bringing terrific energy and control to the barking, licking & running of the three different dogs. Some of the funniest scenes are at the park with the dogs off the leash – glorious.

My companion comments afterwards, “He does a very good greyhound.”  And so he does.

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