Crow’s Theatre’s ‘Fifteen Dogs’ is a must-see, even for cat people

Fifteen Dogs

Based on the novel by André Alexis. Adapted and directed by Marie Farsi. At Streetcar Crowsnest, 345 Carlaw Ave., through Feb. 12. crowstheatre.com or 647-341-7390, ext. 1010

It’ll make you saw bow-wow. It’s a fascinating tail. No bones about it, this one’s a worthy fetch at Crow’s Theatre.

Great. That’s out of the way.

“Fifteen Dogs” lives up to the buzz. The crisp and often lovely theatricalization of the Giller Prize-winning novel by André Alexis, adapted and directed by Marie Farsi, makes good on its promise: six heroes of Canadian theatre do indeed play dogs, with barely a wink of irony as they bark to each other and feign defecation on the Guloien Theatre stage.

It’s ever faithful to the book, maintaining Alexis’s charming tone, and the production is so very smart in its design — Farsi’s chosen an in-the-round configuration, in which the audience sits on all sides of the theatre, peering down at the “dogs.” A clever choice for a play largely about predestination versus free will.

In fact, the long-awaited “Fifteen Dogs,” balanced on the seductive premise of 15 Toronto dogs being afforded human levels of intelligence by Greek gods Apollo and Hermes, is so good it nearly excuses its bloated run time.

Nearly.

“Fifteen Dogs” is billed at two hours and 40 minutes — about the same as Crow’s transcendent “Uncle Vanya” last year — but the play overstays its welcome more than once.

Tom Rooney is as magnetic as ever, and you really shouldn’t miss his haunting performance as Majnoun the contemplative poodle. But Majnoun’s final sequence, heartbreaking though it is, and flawlessly executed by Rooney, lingers well past its poignant apex. By the time we reach the true conclusion of the play, though touching, it feels redundant — and that’s no small thing at nearly the three-hour mark.

When “Fifteen Dogs” does settle into its pacing — I found that to be at around the half-hour mark, following a lengthy exposition in which we first learn of Hermes and Apollo’s bet to see if any of the 15 dogs die happy despite being saddled with human cognition — Farsi’s direction is confident and unfussy, overshadowing the adaptation’s need for trims.

It’s a tricky thing, the dog-ness of it all — it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect something akin to the fever dream that is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” — but Farsi navigates the paradoxical humanity of “Fifteen Dogs” flawlessly in partnership with set, costume and prop designer Julie Fox.

Fox’s costumes merely suggest canine sensibilities: black jeans and shirt for the poodle, a smart suit for Benjy the beagle, a necklace of pelts as a stand-in for slain squirrels. Her whimsical props, too, elevate Farsi’s storytelling: tiny dog statues remind us who’s still alive and toy streetcars pay homage to the TTC with grace.

But what grounds “Fifteen Dogs” firmly in the realm of “great” are the performances. The show demands a bevy of acting techniques from its cast — intense physicality, deep text work, meticulous choral movement — and there is not a weak link here. Each actor plays multiple characters, both canine and otherwise: it’s a marathon performance for all involved.

Rooney is sublime, cheeky and introspective, a perfect Majnoun. Laura Condlln soars as Nira, the earnest human to whom Majnoun has irrevocably bonded. Peter Fernandes, Benjy, finds back-to-back moments of colourful hijinks and deep sorrow — it’s perhaps Benjy’s bouts of introspection that sting the most. Tyrone Savage, Atticus the Neapolitan Mastiff, offers tantalizing peeks into the depths of the play’s villain, masterfully exposing layers of self-doubt within the leader of the pack. Mirabella Sundar Singh shines as Hermes, particularly during the play’s crushing denouement.

And last, but certainly not least, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff: one could argue they’re the beating heart of “Fifteen Dogs,” particularly as Prince, the mutt-turned-poet. A lot’s asked of Jackman-Torkoff here — physically, emotionally, comedically — and they nail it all.

It’s equal parts philosophical and silly; political and light; imaginative and real. Though it might benefit from further cuts, “Fifteen Dogs” is a must-see. Even if you think you’re more of a cat person.