Picton-bound ‘Social Animal’ spotlights topical subject

When Stephen Papps started sketching out his latest one-man show, he knew the ideas he was noodling had wide-reaching potential. He’s in his 60s, like myriad fellow Kiwis, buffeted by winds of change. He’s also got a soft spot in his heart for dogs.

Yet, by providence or coincidence, “Social Animal” has more topicality than he initially envisioned. The canine companion created for his character study happened to be a greyhound … and Central Government recently banned greyhound racing effective 1 August.

So, as Stephen heads on tour with a stop next Tuesday in Picton, the show he co-wrote with Damon Andrews reflects current events as well as life events.

“The performance is very timely,” agreed Deb Martis, Committee Secretary of Picton Little Theatre, where Stephen is making his Marlborough Sounds debut. This is the fourth of 18 shows criss-crossing the country over 24 days.

The added resonance, Stephen noted last week by phone, is “serendipity – synchronicity. We started the show from the idea of the dog and the man, and then the news started to come through about the whole greyhound industry.

“So, of course we had to incorporate that into the story to be in the zeitgeist of things, which was a very happy accident.”

The comedy-drama centres on a man “forced to retire against his will” and a greyhound “who’s also being retired, not necessarily against his will”. Rehoming the racing dog brings them together, and the arc of acclimation – with a crumbling marriage in the midst – propels the play.

Living life
A professional actor for 37 years, Stephen is not a dog-owner but is a dog-lover. He got first-hand insights on greyhounds while looking after dogs of various breeds in Australia. Their traits, unpredictability in particular, infuse “Social Animal”.

The first draft dates back three years. Stephen brought it to stages in Whangarei and Hamilton, then let it percolate for a year and a half until taking a revised version to Wellington in September.

Another rewrite yielded the “tighter and more satirical” show which audiences will see on tour.

What would Stephen like attendees to take away from the play? “I would like them to have a laugh at a situation that’s emotional,” he replied. “It’s not something that’s easily answerable, but it throws up questions about rejiggering your life as you get older and how you do that.

“I feel the best way to live life is as much in the moment as you can. Who knows what’s going to change? If you get stuck in your ways, bad things can happen to you – whereas if you roll with the punches, you can live a life.”