By Adam Rafferty
Commissioned through the MTC’s NEXT STAGE Writer’s Program and presented as part of their Education & Families Program, The Robot Dog is a fun new story set in the future and designed both for easy viewing and for themes that are ripe for interrogation and discussion.
In the Australia of 2042, AI technology has become a wholly integrated part of everyday life, so when Janelle and Harry move back into her family home after the death of her mother, they inherit both the sentient house – or ‘Hus’ as it’s known – and the robotic therapy dog that was her mum’s companion.
Whether these enhancements to life are of help to Janelle and Harry, it’s difficult to tell. Certainly, Hus is concerned about regulating their bowel movements, and getting Janelle’s life on track by setting deadlines for her to pack up her mother’s belongings and find a new job. Meanwhile ‘Dog’ offers welcome companionship whilst Harry is busy working online with his funky looking internet enabled specs, but behind both its owners backs the robot pooch is plotting away. Do Janelle and Harry have more to worry about than just who’s culture originated the big blue, white and red sturdy bags that Janelle’s mum’s things are being packed up into?
Janelle is of Cantonese extraction, while Harry is of First Nations, and both feel degrees of connection and dislocation from their heritage at times, especially when it comes to language. Thankfully, 2042 has a fix for that, allowing both to reignite links to what they’ve forgotten and perhaps what they never knew. Through the learning they uncover that personal cultural links can be found not just in the legacy of language, but the simplicity of mundane everyday objects.
Written by Roshelle Yee Pui Fong and Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan, a duo of both Hong Kong and Pintupi-Luritja backgrounds, meaning our onstage couple mirror the writing team. This makes for a warmth and charm, that is brought through reflected naturalism and truth. Director Amy Sole has nurtured the story into a sweet and open-hearted production that is easy to take to your heart.
Kristie Nguy as Janelle is equal parts strong and endearing as she digs into her procrastination and her reflections on family. Ari Maza Long brings out Harry’s fun and cheeky character fully connected to the future workplace, while never losing connection to his ancestors.
As the ghost of Janelle’s mum, the voice of Hus and the voice (and operation) of Dog, Jing-Xuan Chan has the tricky job of giving her AI characters a type of uncanny valley resemblance to life, which she does both through humour and unsettling believability. Although she is working with the impediment of a frankly disappointing robot dog, considering not only how the AI companion was imaged on the poster for the show, but also the fact this story is set in 2042. To be blunt, this android pup is only a smidge more technological than Doctor Who’s K-9 was fifty years ago, looking like a sewing machine cover on wheels, with a couple of bits of fluff stuck to it. It’s a bit difficult to believe that AI is going to look this slap-dash in 20 years’ time, when in fact it already does look better than this today. Considering this, the fact Jing-Xuan Chan gets some character into the breadbox on wheels is a feat in itself.
Costume designs by Nathan Burmeister are a cute projection of future fashions however and BROCKMAN does an excellent job of creating lighting states that elevate the production overall.
The Robot Dog has no revelations to share nor a wildly complex story to impart, but it’s a fun prognostication of the world we might soon expect to live in and how indelibly it will still be connected to our past.
Image: Tiffany Garvie
