{{Short description|Play written by Caleb Lewis}} {{italic title}} {{use Australian English|date=June 2022}} {{use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''''Dogfall''''' is an Australian [[play (theatre)|play]] written by [[South Australian]] playwright [[Caleb Lewis]], first produced in November 2007. Set in [[World War I]], this [[theatre of the absurd|absurdist play]] has an anti-war theme.
== Plot and themes == The play travels through time with the central characters of Will, a soldier, and Jack, a medic, appearing in bunker and trench warfare in multiple historical wars; with the play linking the events as one long drawn out war.<ref name=philly/> The play begins in 1916, during the [[Battle of the Somme|Somme]].<ref name=philly/> The battle shifts continuously, and the sky continues to fall... ''Dogfall'' depicts the absurdity of war; outside it is literally raining cats dogs, and other animals.
The two men are joined by "semi-[[pacifist]]" Alousha, and scenes from other theatres of war, notably the [[Vietnam War]], [[Nanking]], [[London]],<ref name=davenport/> [[bombing of Guernica|Guernica]], [[The Troubles|Northern Ireland]], [[Rwanda]], and [[Guantanamo Bay detention camp]] are portrayed.<ref name=rt2007/> The plot is absurd but the themes complex and multi-layered.<ref name=davenport/>
==Original production== The first production of this anti-war play was launched at the [[Bakehouse Theatre]] in [[Adelaide]], [[South Australia]] from 2 to 17 November 2007. Critic Stephen Davenport described it as a "brilliant play" that was "disturbing and morbidly funny" and "superbly written by Caleb Lewis".<ref name=davenport>{{cite web|url = http://www.theatreguide.com.au/current_site/reviews/pdfs/2007_dogfall.pdf|title = ''Dogfall'' (review)|access-date = 2008-02-16|last = Davenport|first = Stephen|year = 2007|publisher = The Adelaide Theatre Guide}}</ref> US playwright [[Edward Albee]], with whom Lewis had undertaken a two-week workshop, called the play "wonderful".<ref name=rt2007>{{cite journal | title=War at a distance |first=Jonathan |last=Bollen| journal =[[RealTime]] |issue=82 |date= December 2007 – January 2008 |page= 33 | url=https://www.realtime.org.au/war-at-a-distance/ | access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref>
=== Cast === The cast comprised:<ref name=ausstage>{{cite web | title=Dogfall | website=AusStage | url=https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/72580 | access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref><ref name=rt2007/> *Brendan Rock *Martin Hissey *Joseph Del Re
=== Crew === *Director: Justin McGuinness<ref name=davenport/><ref name=ausstage/> *Composer: Peter Nielsen<ref name=ausstage/> *Lighting: Nic Mollison<ref name=ausstage/> *Costume & Props: Tsubi Du<ref name=rt2007/> *Publicity: Antje Guenther<ref name=rt2007/> *Produced by: TheimaGen<ref name=rt2007/>
==2016 U.S. production== ''Dogfall'' was staged by [[Iron Age Theatre]] in [[Philadelphia]], in the United States, in February 2016, directed by [[John Doyle (director)|John Doyle]].<ref name=philly>{{cite web | title=Iron Age presents Caleb Lewis's 'Dogfall' |first=Mark| last= Cofta| website=Broad Street Review | date=11 February 2016 | url=https://www.broadstreetreview.com/articles/iron-age-presents-caleb-lewiss-dogfall | access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref>
==2025 Canberra production== ''Dogfall'' was brought back to Australia by the [[National University Theatre Society]] at [[Kambri Theatre]] in May of 2025, directed by [[Isaiah Prichard]] and [[Jessi Gooding]]. The cast included Natasha Lyall, Sam Odgers and Belinda Lawrence, and received a positive reception from audiences.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Butler |first1=Ashleigh |title=Thoughtful Production Reverberates with Current Conflicts |url=https://canberrayouththeatre.com.au/dogfall-review-ashleigh-butler/ |website=Canberra Youth Theatre |access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Breen |first1=Jade |title=Raining Cats, Dogs, and Bullets. Dogfall, a frightening scaffold for humanity. |url=https://canberrayouththeatre.com.au/dogfall-review-jade-breen/ |website=Canberra Youth Theatre |access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:2007 plays]] [[Category:2000s Australian plays]] [[Category:Existentialist plays]] [[Category:Anti-war plays]] [[Category:Gulf War fiction]] [[Category:Plays about the military]] [[Category:Plays set in Iraq]] [[Category:Plays set in Kuwait]] [[Category:Plays set in France]] [[Category:Plays set in Russia]] [[Category:Plays set in Vietnam]] [[Category:Plays about the Vietnam War]] [[Category:Plays about World War I]] [[Category:Plays about World War II]] [[Category:Theatre of the Absurd]] [[Category:Plays set in Rwanda]] [[Category:Plays set in Cuba]] [[Category:Plays set in Spain]]