The moment I saw an actor dressed as an astronaut dog on stage, I knew I was in for a ride. MUTTNIK is a one-man theatrical production that follows the story of Laika, the first dog sent to space. From unexpected jokes to immersive, playful storytelling, the show kept the audience engaged every single second. The artists succeeded in their goal of crafting a lighthearted yet memorable experience, all while teaching us a history lesson about the space race!

To address the elephant in the room (or more so, the dog), Bruce Ryan Costella, as Laika, embraced his role to its full capacity. With impressive dog-like physicality and a consistent slavic accent, Costella demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the show. It is also worth mentioning how witty and unhinged some of the jokes were! From time to time, Costella would throw in improvised jokes that involved audience interaction, which only added to the humorous experience.

One element of the show that I found funny, but somewhat adorable, was that Laika was telling us stories from a rocket, so she referred to the audience members as “stars” during interactive moments, because she was supposedly looking out the window and conversing with the stars. It was a small detail that made me giggle.

In addition to comedy, the show’s emotional storytelling and lessons about home, love, and loneliness were unforgettable. Never would I expect to be moved by a space dog who misses her mother, yet here we are. It was the type of show where it makes perfect sense to laugh one second and feel sorrow the next.

The lighting and sound were minimalistic, yet effective. Sound effects consisted solely of a blaring siren that would interrupt Laika’s dialogue occasionally, adding to the show’s comedic element. Lighting was also quite simple, and it included a few different washes of colour. However, it took me a while to realise that most of the lighting effects were controlled by Costella on stage! Using more props in addition to the stool already being used could have made the show even more immersive, but overall, it was a job well done.

MUTTNIK is a striking show that won’t fail to crack laughs in the audience. It’s remarkable what one actor can do with a small stage, a stool, simple technical elements, and sheer dedication.