Esme Davis
Two worlds – one is reality, the theatre we’re sitting in to watch the show. And another: a production of King Lear, perhaps the more real of the two.
Tim Crouch is known for his experimental playwriting, crafting absurdist stories that challenge conventions and the role of the audience. Truth’s a Dog Must to Kennel continues this tradition.
The show begins with Crouch entering the stage and putting on a virtual reality headset. He begins describing what we presume he is seeing: a production of King Lear. He is standing onstage, and begins by describing members of the audience – labelling them by their ticket, their job, their thoughts on the show.
We meet some characters who return throughout, a woman who’s snuck down to a better seat in the stalls, a man with heartburn from having the pre-theatre dinner, an access patron with autism. Every so often, the headset comes off, and Crouch talks to us directly. His stories themselves range from depressing to harrowing, a jarring but intriguing leap from the world of the play.
Our King Lear reality is effectively subverted by Crouch placing himself as the Fool character, only he has run out of jokes. Touching on themes of disability, death, responsibility, and social contracts, his portrayal is unyieldingly gripping down to the last word.
The stage simply features Crouch, a microphone, and the virtual reality headset, alongside slow, controlled, captivating storytelling. Crouch does no more than is necessary, and his carefully spun words are utterly transformative. Each sentences pored over, clear and purposeful. The quality of the performance is a testament to Crouch’s career.
Truth’s a Dog Must to Kennel examines the current realm of live performance. Under this sits a critique of theatre etiquette, contemporary taste, and future of spectatorship. Crouch doesn’t offer his opinion, instead he tells his surreal stories and lets us reach the conclusion ourselves.
It’s subtle, and gives the audience a rare sense of autonomy which feels gleefully exhilarating. There is a blanket lack of expectation – no pause for laughs, for applause. Crouch makes us an offer, and we bear witness before casting judgment.
The stories told do not hold back on the explicit and the taboo. One of the starkest tales, as an example, depicts a family participating in a stereotypical talent show, which ends with the crowd going wild. The implied claim of such talent shows celebrating the outrageous and the extreme, casts a bright light onto the wider media we congregate towards.
Truth’s a Dog Must to Kennel is a call for a more responsible, caring world, told through surreal examples depicting our lack of humanity. Uncomfortably emotive and effortlessly enthralling, the discomfort, icy jokes, and vivid imagery come together to form a cohesive observation, holding up a mirror to the audience and asking them to really reflect.
Recommended Drink: An old fashioned.
Performances of Truth’s A Dog Must to Kennel have now concluded at EdFringe 2026.
Shay Mace
Ellen Leslie
Em Tambree
