The Accidental Dog Detective

What on earth is going on? A crowd of people are gathered around a make shift puppet theatre to see a dog seduced by a poodle and a man who thinks he’s a puppet. "Welcome to my fourth day of being a puppeteer..." our host says, but this is not off-putting at all. The show quickly demonstrates it has the fusion of oodles of ideas and inspiration and the hasty, handmade charm that can make a first time show so original. Comedian [and now puppeteer] Paul Harry Allen is a gifted voice artist, especially when it comes to Sesame Street, while the plot is less important than the wonderfully surreal twists and turns it takes, sprinkled liberally with noir puns. The narration in some places is a little rushed, but the Dog Detective goes to show just what can be brilliantly achieved with cardboard, scissors and a projector.