We’re Not Getting A Dog* (*A Story Largely Not About Dogs) is coming to our Cellar Theatre for its first-ever performance in a special work-in-progress show on Wed 16 April.
It’s the latest storytelling show from Sam Freeman, a writer and performer whose work feels like a quirky mix between a BBC Radio 4 Radio Drama and a live audio book.
Sam’s previous shows, Every Little Hope You Ever Dreamed (But Didn’t Want To Mention) and Every Time I Close My Eyes, All I See Is You, were welcomed by warm audiences at ours who loved the heart, humour, and Sam’s touch of whimsical northern charm.
So, what’s this new show about? We sat down with Sam to find out.
Hi Sam, tell us a bit about the show…
I set out on writing a show about dogs – it was going to be in the first-person, I even researched man-sized dog costumes and building a set that included a giant dog basket, but then as I was writing what emerged was something different and so the show morphed into a story about finding your place, about love and finding a home. Which was lucky because costumes and giant dog baskets are crazy expensive for a 6ft man.
So, how do you write your shows?
I have a notebook of ideas – some single words – others are full pages or scribblings - and I wait for something to feel right. Sometimes I’ll write 1, 10 maybe even 30 pages and then realise it’s just not me, or I’ve accidentally re-written the plot to Star Wars or The Godfather.
When an idea feels right and flows as I write it then I power through and write a big first draft – usually around 20k words in total – then I cut it down by half and yeah, a show (I hope).
That’s the painful bit -cutting material is really depressing in a way. But I tend to keep everything – so, for example, around 3k words from this show will become something else. Fun fact: 7 words in this show are outtakes from my first ever show.
Check out Sam performing as part of his previous show.
Do you like dogs?
I’ll be honest, I never used to. I think I was a little afraid of them. Whereas now I think they’d kind of incredible – they have a honesty that is great.
Did you make a list of reasons not to get a dog?
Yes. I wrote several. It was mostly the obvious stuff – picking up poo / lifestyle choices / responsibility / picking up poo. It was a fairly rock solid list apart from one fairly major flaw – my partner really wanted a dog.
I think the list made sure my eyes were open and made me very aware that I want to make sure that if I am getting a dog, I want to make sure they live the best possible life and that means compromise for me. Turns out that compromise has only been positives. But, it’s also worth saying, the show’s now mostly not about dogs.
What is a work-in-progress show?
Work-in-progress varies massively between performers. For me, this will be a 95% finished show – there’ll be projection, music, lighting, all the good stuff.
The difference between this and the final show will be the audience. Audience reaction is everything. You learn more about a show in your first performance than in all the rehearsals – you can make little tweaks after you hear an audience react – from how you pause, or deliver a line, to changing a sound effect… I hope it’ll be good.
Help New Stories Get Told
We want everyone to have the chance to experience new theatre, so for Sam's show you can choose a ticket price that works for you with £3, £5 and £10 ticket options.
All ticket sales go directly to us, meaning your support helps us champion artists and develop bold new theatre.
So, whether you’re looking for a heartwarming, funny night out or just a solid argument for (or against) getting a dog, this one’s for you.
