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Spark In The Dark Productions
DOG ROSE, onstage at the Baxter Theatre, is a funny and feisty story about a mother and a daughter trying to connect. Think Shameless meets Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird.
Sophie Joans’ new play DOG ROSE, directed by Jemma Kahn, starring Anthea Thompson alongside Joans, comes to the Baxter Theatre from 23 May to 1 June 2024.
Sophie Joans returns from touring her smash hit ILE across South Africa and to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with a new play: DOG ROSE. Directed by Standard Bank Young Artist for 2018, Jemma Kahn, this comedy-drama stars Sophie Joans alongside multi-award winning actress, Anthea Thompson.
DOG ROSE is about a mother and a daughter. It’s about dysfunction, women and family. It’s about trying to love and understand each other and somehow failing. It's messy, it's outrageous, it's funny.
The story follows Rose and her daughter Nina as they try to make sense of their lives, the world, and their relationship. Rose has always struggled to keep up. For as long as she can remember, the world moved two steps ahead of her at incredible speed, from deadlines she missed to conversations that constantly eluded her. When her daughter, Nina, was born, she hoped she could finally have a relationship at her own pace. But nothing could have prepared her for the whirlwind of motherhood. Nina’s childhood flashed before her eyes. Now an 18 year old, Nina reflects on her complicated relationship with her mother. When a possible diagnosis of autism explains her mother’s anxieties and eccentricities, she hopes they can finally come to understand each other. The play raises awareness about autism, which has historically been mis-diagnosed in women and girls.
DOG ROSE was originally developed in the Artscape’s New Voices Programme 2022 and debuted on the National Arts Festival’s 2023 Arena Programme, where it was wildly popular and beloved by reviewers:
“The script is brilliantly written and conveys nuanced storytelling. There is a clever balance of mystery and understanding throughout the play. The story combines the complexities of familial relationships, with love and compassion, deeply rooted in humour. Tears will build as you choke down a chuckle.” - Arno Cornellisen, Cue
Tickets for DOG ROSE, onstage at the Baxter Theatre from 23 May to 1 June 2024, can be booked through Webtickets.