The Little Dog Laughed Reviews

A Barnes from UK

ENJOYABLE EVENING

Tamsin Grieg makes this show. Her vibrancy and enjoyment permeate the whole evening. I felt the male members performances were sometimes weak, there were moments when their roles were just totally unbelievable, in stark contrast to that of Tamsin. Having said that, the camping up was quite in keeping, and made it a fun show. I agree with previous comments made about the set. The bed disappearing was odd. The second half was definitely better than the first, it seemed to move along at a better pace. For the special offer I got on the ticket and meal, I had a superb evening.

Sheila from Surrey England

VERY GOOD ACTING

I'm not a regular theatre goer so I can't compare this to other plays but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the dark humour. I'm not one for sentimentality. I also had'nt realised who the actors were till looking them up afterwards - quality actors. Bit risque in places- broad minded people only needed in the front rows!

Thos from London

THIS LITTLE DOG LAUGHED...

Tamsin Greig is a dominating presence in this entertaining, if superficial, satire on Hollywood attitudes. Almost excessively glamorous in a series of impressive outfits, Greig shows a clean pair of 6-inch heels to amiable, competent face-of-the-moment, Gemma Arterton - of course, Greig's role as an ambitious, cynical agent is the best in the play by miles. Her brilliant timing and delivery bring most of the laughs in the show, though the relentless loudness of the character risks monotony: although entirely true to the role, perhaps she will find a bit more variation in pace and tone as the previews continue. Rupert Friend as the covertly homosexual movie star has a composed stage presence, quietly charismatic and persuasive. Harry Lloyd as Friend's boyfriend is fluent and amusing, but the attraction between him and Friend's movie star does not convince. Still, stylishly staged and performed with verve and pace, the talented cast make the best of a not-very-deep play.

Wesley from London

A SASSY, WITTY SATIRICAL ROMP

This play makes a for really enjoyable night out, and reviewers who say it lacks emotional depth are missing the point. It's very much a New York gay writer's take on Hollywood hypocrisy over gay actors, which makes its point through laughter and plot device rather than by grabbing us with heart-rending tension. Tamsin Greig's performance is stand out and very funny as the agent determined to keep her star in the closet. The male leads are pleasant to look at, at times touching ( in both senses) and their romance not unconvincing ; perhaps the bisexual hustler's relationship with the girl works less well, although her dilemna is archetypal. This play isn't trying to be Anna Karenina or My night with Ted - it's a jolly, amusing night out which skates over emotional depths in exactly the same way as the Holywood it is satirising.

John and Anna from London, UK

WHAT A DOG!

After nearly forty years of theatre-going in the West End, this play ranks among the worst we have even seen. The script was paper thin and the acting dull and incompetent, with the notable exception of Tamsin Greig, who struggled valiantly to keep the show going. Hence the one star. The script was leaden and the production awful. There was no chemistry between the two male leads, poor diction and the minimalist set and lighting would have been an embarrasment to an amateur dramatics society.

John from London

CYNICAL AND PATHETIC

This is the sort of play to put you off theatre for life. The script and plot was laughable whilst taking itself ever so seriously. I kept being reminded of the RENT parody in Team America. You could occasionally see in their eyes that the actors knew as much. Friend and Lloyd put in a tolerable performances - although both struggled to make their frequent mood swings believable - but Greig and Arterton were shrill and desperate. The staging was bizarre - beds appearing in some scenes only to disappear in others - so that Alex and Mitchell were sleeping together on the floor for no apparent reason. The spotlighting for 'important speeches' frequently missed the performers, and the bedroom scenes were so bright they wouldn't feel out of place in an episode of Hollyoaks. The only upside to this cynical staging of an appalling play was that it falls into the so-bad-it's-good category - a rare feat.

Not Tunbridge Wells? from NorthEast England

WARNING! 18 CERTIFICATE!

A warning! This play should carry an 18 certificate. On Saturday my wife and I took our 15 year old daughter to see this play as a treat - she is a big fan of Rupert Friend. I had read all the reviews - both public and press, and was aware of the subject matter but naively assumed it would be at the level of (say) "The Birdcage" or the homosexual cameo from "The Full Monty". We are all broad-minded but squirmed at the "near-miss" portrayal of naked male-male oral sex and the lurid account of fetishes (golden rain??) experienced by a rent-boy. At the interval we checked with our daughter and confirmed that she felt very unhappy and uncomfortable - not because of the homosexual content but because of the graphic detail she had been exposed to. So we left. Yes, there were some funny bits but it was hard to enjoy them whilst watching our daughter's (and hence our) unease. I think someone somewhere should have pointed out the extremely graphic nature of the sexual content.

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