Strictly Barking, Jon and Ollie
The Pocket at The Pleasure Garden, 20 January 2023
Reviewed by Isabel Greentree (age 13) & Eddy Greentree (age 10)

Strictly Barking is a funny and interactive show about a stray dog, Easy Peeler, and a lonely old man named Hogarth, who team up to enter a ballroom dancing competition.  

Unfortunately, their plan is disrupted when they discover that dogs are not allowed in the show, due to the mayor’s nasty old cat Steven. But with some bravery and teamwork, the dancing duo steal the show, and help the mayor realise his dream of getting a puppy.  

The show is held in a stripy circus tent.  The tent looks small from the outside but it has a lot of seats inside, and there is good air conditioning to keep it cool.  There is also a smoke machine to create an atmosphere at the start of the dance contest, which makes the scene look amazing. But it is very close to the audience and doesn’t smell the best.    

The two actors (Jonathan Tilley and Oliver Nilsson, aka Jon and Ollie) are very funny, and really bring Strictly Barking to life. They use miming to show doors, walls and windows, and there is not much talking. However, you always know what is going on, and there are lots of exaggerated and hilarious facial expressions, which make the audience laugh. 

There is a fair amount of interaction from the audience, throwing mandarins, bouncy balls, balled up newspaper, and a yoga ball. During the chase scene, things are being thrown everywhere in the audience and the cat squirted us all with its water bottle.  

The actors make really good use of costumes and props to convey what is going on. There is a wide range of music, from ballroom music to Guns N’ Roses. There are lots of acrobatic acts towards the end that wow the audience, including one where an actor leapfrogs unexpectedly over the other actor standing at full height.  

Strictly Barking is funny and interesting for both kids and adults.  Young kids will especially enjoy the interactive parts, and we would recommend it for all ages. 

Strictly Barking is at The Pocket at The Pleasure Garden until 29 January 2023. 

Pictured top: An old man and a stray dog make a funny dance duo in ‘Strictly Barking’. Photo: supplied