hotel for dogs

Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017: I Wish I Owned a Hotel for Dogs

The question: do dogs and comedy equal a winning combination?  I was curious to find out in I Wish I Owned a Hotel for Dogs.

A one woman show by Claire Sullivan, this performance is nothing short of bizarre. One minute Claire is imitating a dog in a dog show complete with hand-made mask, the next reciting poetry, or retelling a weird story about some unknown or other.

Claire is mad.  She brings vigour and animation to the show and is a born performer. However, I found the show hard to follow, and at points the punch lines unfathomable.  In fact, my friend said she found the funniest part of the show the expression of my face as I watched in bewilderment. She too judged the show to be confusing and often lacking in humour.

That said, we were in the minority as most the audience were laughing along and seemed to be genuinely amused. On the plus side, if audience participation is your thing, I Wish I Owned  Hotel for Dogs delivers. Treats are provided for the ‘interval’ and you may be lucky enough to catch one of the show props. Claire gives each audience member a handwritten note thanking them for coming, a nice touch.

Claire’s acting skills and versatile voices are at the forefront as she takes on the imagined persona of the many breeds photographed in a dog manual. This was perhaps the highlight of a show often distanced from the expected subject.

There are enough crazy dog owners and dogs in this word to provide material for a hilarious dog themed comedy show. I Wish I Owned Hotel For Dogs didn’t quite reach its potential despite the enthusiasm and obvious good nature of Clare Sullivan. And as she really does love dogs, I know that makes her a great person. So I am sorry if my bewildered looks put you off Claire. It could just be me having a slow day.

This is an odd, fast-moving show by a strong performer. Dogs are a recurring subject but it is about so much more. Come and see if you can figure it out!

– Rachel
Celebrating five years living in Melbourne, Rachel is a fan of theatre, food, the outdoors and all things new and exciting.

I wish I Owned a Hotel for Dogs runs 29 March to 8 April 2017 (except Sundays), 6pm (50 minutes) at The Belleville Purchase tickets now.
This venue is accessible.

Read The Plus Ones’ guide to MICF 2017, and visit often to see all our reviews

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of Claire Sullivan.
Image Credit: Melbourne International Comedy Festival.