Review: Sick Dog, Bread & Roses Theatre

Sick Dog is the second play I’ve seen this summer about a young person with a terminal illness, and while Before I’m Dead focused on a relationship with a therapist, this centres on a relationship with a care robot. Scientist Winnie’s (Cara Crofts) illness is not revealed, but what is clear is that she is keeping friends and family at a distance, preferring instead to stay at home with the robot – Eliza (Pearl D’Souza) – she has created. She is tetchy towards Eliza, finding her efficiency with chores and not-quite-human reactions annoying, but Eliza has a way with her that begins to break down that initial frustration. Eliza learns about human relationships through watching episodes of Love Island with Winnie and what she tells her about her own past relationships. And While there is an eagerness to please and a simplicity to Eliza, there is an underlying wisdom in her responses, and Winnie starts to learn about humanity from her robot. It is one of several ironies that weave through…