Animals – Abbey Theatre – Review
Dates: 23 Sep – 7 Nov 2026
Image: Ros Kavanagh.

Have you ever heard the story of the Cat Piss Astronaut? What about Pamela Fags, a greyhound named after a solicitor? If neither of those sounds familiar, then surely you know the tale of the Arse Children, which involves a certain meeting between Éamon de Valera and Michael Collins? If not, then welcome to the strange and offbeat world of Animals.

This new production draws on the work of Blindboyboatclub, with stories taken from two of his books, The Gospel According to Blindboy (2017) and Topographia Hibernica (2023). Adapted for the stage by director Dan Colley, the production brings seven short stories together, ranging widely in tone and subject matter. There are simple, melancholy tales of modern life, observations on toxic masculinity and, inevitably, a few bizarre oddities thrown into the mix to shock and surprise.

The storytelling is deliberately non-linear, with characters from one story occasionally wandering into another. Pat Short remains in character as Erskine Fogarty throughout, carrying a top-of-the-range refrigerator on his back as he wanders through the various scenes, punctuating the action with an incessant stream of facts. It provides a loose thread that ties the disparate stories together while adding another layer of absurdity to the proceedings.

The staging is as unconventional as the writing. Some scenes are given impressive, detailed sets, while others rely almost entirely on the audience’s imagination. The two sides of the stage remain largely exposed, with actors drifting on and off, partial sets being wheeled into position and then whisked away almost as quickly.

Video design by José Miguel Jimenez is particularly important to the production. Scenes are filmed and projected onto the back wall, allowing miniature sets and other theatrical sleights of hand to be transformed into something much larger. The technique is used imaginatively rather than simply as decoration, adding to the playful quality of the production. It is perhaps no surprise from Director Dan Colley, whose previous work includes productions such as Lost Lear and A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, that the boundaries between these different art forms are treated so freely.

The Abbey Theatre’s website includes a substantial section of content advice under the heading “Is this show for me?” While some of this may relate to the relaxed nature of the performance, where audience members are free to come and go as they please, the warnings themselves leave remarkably little to the imagination. Among them are “simulated sex and simulated nudity”, along with “strong language and images, including the scatological”.

Animals is irreverent and deliberately provocative. The production does not pull its punches, and is all the better for it. At times, it feels less like a conventional play than a collection of interconnected comedy sketches, with the actors constantly shifting between characters and styles.

There is an anarchic energy to the whole affair. Beneath the jokes and the more outrageous material, however, there are sharper observations about Irish life, masculinity, loneliness and the peculiarities of contemporary society. The production’s refusal to settle into a single tone can occasionally make it feel uneven, but that unpredictability is also part of its appeal.

Despite all the warnings, Animals is unlikely to cause an actual riot. What it may do is leave you wondering where on earth some of these stories came from. For fans of Blindboyboatclub, there is plenty here to enjoy, and his distinctive mixture of absurdity and dark humour translates surprisingly well to the stage.

Credits
Cast: Loré Adewusi
Cast: Aidan Crowe
Cast: Emer Dineen
Cast: John Doran
Cast: Ashleigh Dorrell
Cast: Liz FitzGibbon
Cast: Manus Halligan
Cast: Jeanne Nicole Ní Áinle
Cast: Siobhán O’Connor
Cast: Karl Quinn
Cast: Pat Shortt

From the short stories of: Blindboyboatclub
Adapted and Directed by: Dan Colley
Set, Puppets and Family Mask Design: Owen Boss
Costume Design: Saileóg O’Halloran
Lighting Design: Suze Cummins
Composition and Sound Design: Alma Kelliher
Video Design: José Miguel Jimenez
Special Effects Design: Richard Babington
Movement Director: Jessie Thompson
Access Design: Dee Roycroft
Wigs, Hair and Make Up Design: Jennifer Bowman
Dramaturg: Ruth McGowan
Voice Director: Andrea Ainsworth
Assistant Director: Ursula McGinn
Assistant Costume Design: LaurA Fajardo Castro
Casting: Barry Coyle and Dawn Mac Allister
Publicity Artwork: Sarah Moloney