Man’s Best Friend
★★★★☆ Beautifully performed
Traverse: Thurs 25 – Sat 27 Sept 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
Man’s Best Friend by Douglas Maxwell is a Tron Theatre production ending its tour at the Traverse for three performances, and should certainly be caught while you still have the chance.
The play was originally produced by A Play, A Pie and A Pint back in 2022 (Æ review: “★★★★☆ Poignant“) and now is presented by the Tron in a slightly expanded form, directed once again by Jemima Levick.
Jordan Young in Man’s Best Friend. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
The one-hander features Ronnie, who starts walking his neighbours’ dogs during lockdown, with the fact that he is doing it as a favour not endearing him to professional dog walkers. Ronnie is perhaps not a natural dog person, and his battles to control his charges lead him to a discovery that forces him to confront his own troubles.
The original production boasted an excellent performance by Jonathan Watson; here, the role is taken over by Jordan Young. Young is another of those actors who can do comedy and the more serious stuff with equal facility, which is necessary in a play that is both extremely funny and desperately sad. Any suspicions that he will suffer in comparison to Watson are dispelled instantly.
He is particularly good at the comic business, with beautiful timing both physically and verbally helping to bring life to Ronnie and various other characters (both human and canine).
skill and sympathy
The more sombre moments are also beautifully done, with Young presenting a multi-faceted character with real skill and sympathy. He is helped greatly of course by the writing – Maxwell’s rich vein of form in recent years is demonstrated here, once again. And also by Levick’s direction, which is fluent, unhurried and thoroughly intelligent.
Jordan Young in Man’s Best Friend. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
The other elements of the production are equally well-considered. Becky Minto’s set, consisting of a wooden spiral with an armchair at its centre, is uncluttered and versatile. Together with Grant Anderson’s lighting and Patricia Panther’s sound design, which are both extremely subtle and evocative, it makes for a clear delineation of the setting, inside or outside, morning or night. The illustrations of dogs by Ross Collins, meanwhile, are cheerfully clever and sparingly used.
worth travelling to see
Whether the play is necessarily any better for the added length is up for discussion; perhaps it seems less focused. While the many good things are still in evidence, the biggest drawback first time round still remains, which is the way that the shifts between comedy and tragedy jar slightly, giving it an occasionally fragmented feel.
Nevertheless, the production certainly has many things to recommend it; sharp writing, impeccable direction and a performance from Young that is well worth travelling to see.
Running time: One hour and 15 minutes (no interval)
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge St, EH1 2ED
Thursday 25 – Saturday 27 September 2025
Daily at 7.30 pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
ENDS
