Dog Mom

Southwark Playhouse

Review 17 October 2026

Synopsis: Following her divorce, Sarita moves into a cramped Brooklyn flat, hoping for a fresh start. A scruffy stray dog has other ideas, drawing the reluctant owner into a world of dog parks, interfering neighbours and unexpected companionship. As her plans unravel, this comedy explores starting over and finding family in unlikely places.

My review: Dog Mom at Southwark Playhouse makes much of a very sparse set. Four pieces that look like footstools are pushed together and rearranged to become a sofa, a bed and a bench in various scenes. The locations are supplied by projections on the wall behind: streets, apartments and parks. You get the picture. Literally.

Sarita, rebuilding her life after a divorce, is followed home by a stray dog who refuses to leave, much to her annoyance. The animals here are played by humans, mostly standing and moving on two legs, and they talk. Initially, Sarita cannot understand her unwanted visitor. Then, following a stormy night, with thunder effects effective enough to make me jump, she suddenly can, and the two begin having conversations.

I’ll admit this threw me. Was I missing something? I hadn’t expected a talking dog whom a human could understand, well, one particular human, anyway, and it took me a while to settle into the play’s world.

A kooky neighbour has a dog of her own, played by Tom Barnes, whose carefully enunciated English accent earns big laughs.

Patty Gallagher, meanwhile, is superb as Sarita’s stray, eventually given the rather unimaginative name Foster. A scene late in the first act makes naming him unexpectedly urgent: Sarita must call him by his name to prevent him from being taken away, with an ominous suggestion of what might happen next.

There is plenty of knockabout clowning between the two dogs, and judging by the laughter around me, it worked very well for some of the audience. For my taste, the silliness sometimes felt closer to children’s comedy. Of course, I wasn’t necessarily expecting eloquent canine speeches about the meaning of life, but I did find myself wondering what the play wanted to be.

Jarreau Antoine is a highlight every time he appears as another character, moving between a multitude of roles, including a cat, with great skill and a sharp sense of comedy.

Beneath the playful surface, you can sense trouble coming in the second half. The direction of travel is rather heavily signposted, although the eventual heartbreaking moment still appeared to move some audience members to tears.

Perhaps Dog Mom is ultimately about the way animals can help people heal after trauma, offering companionship when life has come apart. That idea has warmth, and there is much to admire in the performances. I was less convinced by the way the play brings its broad comedy and emotional ambitions together. Individual moments landed, but I left unsure whether the whole had quite found its feet, or paws.

Show	Dog Mom
Dates	14 Oct – 7 Nov 2026
Venue & Booking	Southwark Playhouse Website

Disclosure: I was given a press ticket for this