RSC Star, Lossi, takes time out to discuss acting with Guide Dogs Dixon and Mason by Rod Dungate.

Photo Credit: Ralph Toppin. L to R: Rod, Dixon, Phillip, Mason, Lossi.

RSC Star, Lossi, takes time out to discuss acting with Guide Dogs Dixon and Mason

“ReviewsGate Editor Roderick Dungate records this unique insight into canine acting.”

Lossi is at present receiving much acclaim for her cool presentation of Crab in Shakespeare’s Two Gentleman of Verona at The Other Place in Stratford.

At the audio described performance on 26 August two Guide Dogs, Dixon and Mason travelled from Birmingham to discuss canine acting methodology with her.  What follows is a summary of their conversation.

Lossi is rightly proud of her accomplishments.

‘I was reared in relative obscurity,’ she revealed.  ‘However I was awarded a scholarship to attend RADA – The Royal Academy of Doggie Acting.’  She left with glittering credentials.

Crab in Two Gents is a prize part to play.

‘I never thought I would get the chance,’ Lottie told the guide dogs.  ‘But in the modern acting cutlure of gender fluidity, the time was, luckily , right.’

Dixon and Mason are most interested in her experiences; they are both closely involved in the development of a new drama being prepared for next year in Birmingham – Seeing With My Dog, scheduled for performance in March.

Mason said: ‘I was most impressed with the modern touches of the production and the integration between you and the humans.’

‘I worked hard on that, ‘ said Lossi.  ‘I gave much advice on food grabbing (actors are always famished, darlings), on relaxing and stretching, and of course on roll play.  The Bancroft Gardens were most useful for this.  Human actors take to roll play quite easily, often laughing away, but they do not like to do it when it’s raining and muddy.’

All three dogs find this astonishing; it is a well known fact in canine circles that roll play is at its best in muddy conditions.

Dixon and Mason both commented on the play’s underlying theme of ‘Love is Blind.’

Mason suggested to her, ‘It is a fine way to encapsulate that human’s have crap senses and intuition and need us to guide them along.  Our stock in trade, after all.’

Lossi nuanced this view: ‘It symbolises the human’s difficulty in finding and retaining love bonds.  My human, Launce an me, our relationship, the ups and downs really say it all’

Dixon, who carefully took this all in commended; ‘I personally take Love is Blind as a meta-textual element of the use of the phrase as a popular cultural signifier for light and dark.’

Lottie asked if Dixon had made a study of dramatic literature.  Dixon said he had not but ‘I was puppy-reared in Stratford.  It rubs off on you.’

Dixon and Mason thanked Lossi for her time and took their leave; they were sensitive to the fact she needed to rest in preparation for her next commanding performance.