Spencer Jones: Dogs - Queen Dome Pleasance Dome - Review

A man wearing a giant papier mâché head stumbles through the crowded audience desperately trying to find his mates in order to hand over his mate, he’s overexcited, so much so that if he had a tail he’d be wagging it, drinks going everywhere and no one seems to mind. This is Spencer Jones: Dogs, and it’s his chaotic exciting world and we’ve just fallen into it hook, line and sinker.

Surrounded by puppets, masks, paintings and an hilariously scruffy remote control dog that may or may not have cost a fortune, Jones sets out to explore the question are dogs better than people and where would we be without them. With an entirely unique sense of energy that feels the Queen Dome with electricity, Spencer bounds around the stage instantly winning over the audience and charming then with a brand of chaos you are unlikely to find anywhere else.

We meet a variety of characters including dog walkers such as those who can’t help but endlessly repeat (or perhaps boast) that their dog is a rescue, be they have four or perhaps three legs, the dogs that get so excited when you get home their whole body wags, the dreaded cone of shame, and the experience of many of dog walker of trying no matter what to clean up after your pooch.

The main topic may on several occasions stray from the theme of our furry companions, with Jones delighting in playing with a loop machine, performing several sketches based around his DIY puppetry creations,  or strutting around the space tasting imaginary soups which as silly as it sounds has the audience all joining in whilst in fits of giggles. It feels chaotic, and perhaps at times a little out of control but in reality, Jones is able to expertly hold it together and keep it coming back to the main point of why we all love dogs and why the world would be a better place if we all could be a little bit more like them.

Within the madness, the silliness and the fast paced nature of it all, it feels important to note here that this hour of comedy is also open and incredibly honest. Jones keeps no secret, referring throughout to how over recent times he has developed a stutter, tics and possibly Tourette’s and throughout the audience 100% has his back.

In a show that truly illustrates the madness, think outside the box and embrace it nature of the Edinburgh Fringe in its entirety, Spencer Jones: Dogs invites you to enter the space with an open mind, take on the chaos with a smile on your face and leave the space with an even bigger grin. This incredibly likeable and hilarious performer has created something that sparks the imagination, releases the joy and brings people together.