Alice Tovey mourns her late pupper more than she does her dead aunt. That forms the basis of this part-concept comedy, part-musical extravaganza at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Doggo, running at the Butterfly Club until April 11, sees the trained opera singer appear in pale blue latex in a performance that morphs from her personifying a dog show contestant of the furry kind into a woman railing against the over-sexualisation of women, and also the stigmatisation of performers who embrace the burlesque arts with pride.
Who doesn’t love dogs? Who doesn’t love comedians that bare their soul? If either of these things, or both, appeal, then this is a rollercoaster ride that bounces off of pre-recorded segues that channel a best in show competition judge, her mum, and her gran (the latter of whom is really unimpressed with Tovey’s frequently colourful language).
A seasoned regular on Comedy fest stages and beyond, Tovey knows how to hold the audience in the palm of her “good boy” paw. Creating pumping club tracks that would be the perfect accompaniment for early morning dog walks when you need an extra hand getting into the groove for your day, Doggo whisks by at a brisk pace. And there’s a lot going on. There’s palpable anger here, a bone-deep sense of loss and also a joyous recognition that sometimes a woman’s best friend comes in canine form. And that’s worth a dog treat or two.
