What was the inspiration for the show?

I grew up with dogs. My parents had two dogs, and then later on when they died, we got a couple more. When COVID hit, I lost all my work and was just home all the time and we got our dog Tilda.

The experience of owning my own dog was such a big moment for me. I was 27 and suddenly I had my own dog for the first time, my whole life just revolved around looking after her. Taking her to the dog park, you start to meet other dog people and dogs.

It’s amazing the conversations you have with people when you have a dog. We used to go out walking and nobody would talk to us before we had a dog, but now we can’t leave the house without somebody saying, “oh, is she a puppy?”

When she was little, I decided I wanted to write her a love song to express how much I loved her because she’s just my world. And I thought, “I’ll make it a duet”, because if she could talk, she’d probably tell me that she loved me too. So, it became a duet and that’s in the show.

What is about dogs that makes them so special?

I think your sense of time changes and the way the day is structured. The first thing I do every morning is I get up and I take Tilda for a pee and I get outside, and then I come in and then I have my cup of tea and my coffee, and before I go anywhere, she always gets a walk. It literally changes the structure of your days.

The way your life revolves around the care for them is just the first noticeable thing. Every day is about has the dog been fed? Does the dog been to go outside? Has the dog had a walk? Where is the dog? I can’t find her. Where is she? Is she in the house? She outside? Where is she dog?

And then just that bond that you have with them and the love when she’s not at home for some reason, the house feels empty – it’s a shell of a house. A dog is home to me.

The show explores themes of love and loss – how does that align with our relationship with our pets, and the thought that they are only with us for a short period?

Every now and again, I catch myself thinking about when she’s not going to be here, and think “my God, a dog’s life is so short”. Apparently, some birds can live up to 90 years old, but dogs, we don’t have them for that long.

Our family dog was 16 when he went, but already my little five-year-old Tilda has troubles with arthritis. She’s so young and having trouble walking. And so that’s made me start thinking about [her] lifespan.

Sometimes you’re just so frustrated with them, you want to throttle them. If they’re not coming back at the dog park or they’ve embarrassed you, but then you forgive them everything at the end of the day.

I feel increasingly aware of that mortality and the lifespan of the dogs, it’s easy to take things for granted. That’s why I’ve created this project – I like to find creative ways to honour people and experiences and animals, and it’s certainly come back to Tilda.

What are you hoping audiences take away from the show?

I hope audiences recognise themselves in the characters, but it’s also a story about family and about a son dealing with his mother who’s moved into aged care and watching her sort of transition into a next stage of life.

It’s challenging and it does talk about death, but because it starts with dogs, it allows us to take people very gently by the hand and talk about other stuff that’s a little harder and a little more tricky.

It brings up so much for everybody about our own mortality and the mortality of the people we love. I hope that audiences, perhaps they might feel sad, but when they leave they feel uplifted by the story and by the music.

Dog People

19-21 June at 7.30pm

Illawarra Performing Arts Centre

MerrigongX – ‘Pay What You Feel’ Tickets can be reserved at merrigong.com.au