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In The Shadow Of The Black Dog
By Daniel Hallissey
Alquist is having a bit of a downward spiral, as he’s convinced he’s dying. Recently single, the world uninspiring, a dead-end job and a weak relationship with his father, he relies on the moments of solace with his best friend. One day – it shatters, any tether which may have been hanging in there is lost as his best friend takes his own life. He wonders how men text friends to say that they’re lonely or where men go to grieve.
The catalysts for writing IN THE SHADOW OF THE BLACK DOG are BASED ON TRUE EVENTS. My best friend died. Soon after, I became ill and was sitting in a hospital emergency room, alone and scared believing I wouldn’t have long to live. I felt unable to call anyone for support to be with me. Months later, I was chased down by two men on a moped, wielding knives, threatening to kill me and I narrowly escaped. After the experience of these events a thought has stayed with me I haven’t been able to shift: I don’t know if I can save myself. I eventually reached out to my mates and found we were all harboring the same fears about being a man or not a good enough one.
This story is about confronting fear, embarrassment and pain, learning it doesn’t work if we keep avoiding the root causes and staying quiet. We can’t just put on a mask and convince ourselves everything will be OK. The way to break this cycle of hurt and suffering and to be able to move on is to be willing to ask questions, address the underlying reasons for our unhappiness and engage with others so we can better understand ourselves. Only then can a better life be possible, as we stop trying to survive each day and start to live.
Creative Team
Writer / Performer
Daniel Hallissey
Director
Conor Neaves
Sound Designer
James Nicholson
Notes
Ages 16+, Strong language, sexual references
Producer
All The Pigs
Set / Costume / Lighting Designer
Press
"That pretty much was sixty minutes of perfection."
BN1 Magazine
"The honesty behind Hallissey’s words is incredibly moving: Hallissey’s play proves itself to be a raw piece of storytelling."
The Wee Review
"Hallissey knows how to craft a good line, whether it be a mid-coitus quip or acute observations on the codependence of life and death, and the human condition."
Auditorium Magazine
"The whole show felt like an intimate chat with your best mate. At moments, you felt like laughing and crying at the same time. A thought-provoking and exciting piece of theatre."
The Spy in the Stalls
"The show is an honest, and important, contribution to the public discourse on male mental health. A brave exercise in self-exploration, and could prove the useful conversation starter it hopes to be."
The Scottish Play
"In The Shadow of The Black Dog is an intimate, challenging piece that is not afraid to ask the questions that are often quick to be avoided."
Theatre Weekly
"Visceral in performance, In The Shadow of the Black Dog is innately human in response to loss. Profoundly personal, with an important goal."
The Skinny
"The play's messages about reaching out, talking things through and not suffering in silence, ring out loud and clear. An engaging show that reveals the deeper vulnerabilities of an outwardly confident male."
LondonTheatre 1
"In The Shadow Of The Black Dog delivers sharp characterisations with lovely delivery."
The Scotsman
"With suicide being the biggest killer of men under 50, In The Shadow Of The Black Dog, is clearly an important show."
Voice Mag
2020 TOUR DATES
Audience Feedback
Sophie Gibbs @gibbs_sophie Aug 18
If you’re visiting @edfringe check out his show #InTheShadowOfTheBlackDog @AssemblyFest by @AllthePigs. An important one-man show tackling male mental health. #MentalHealthAwareness
Bridge House Theatre @bhtse20 Aug 18
#edinburghfringe2019 My best of Fest so far: In The Shadow of the Black Dog by @AllthePigs @AssemblyFest is a powerful (with great humour) portrayal of male mental health issues and Male suicide. A wonderful performer takes us on a journey that must be easier to talk about
David Frias-Robles @Davefriasrobles Aug 15
If you’re visiting @edfringe check out #InTheShadowOfTheBlackDog @AssemblyFest by @AllthePigs A brave, brutal and important one-man show tackling male suicide and mental health (don’t let that put you off! There are light-hearted moments!) #MentalHealthAwareness #malesuicide
In The Shadow Of The Black Dog by @AllthePigs fantastic moving show about male mental health - open up lads #edfringe2019
Lizzie Coles @lizziekaycoles Aug 14
@AllthePigs #intheshadowoftheblackdog was so good, go see it if you’re in edinburgh! it’s great. x
CJ Hammond @CJHammondwriter Aug 10
#InTheShadowOfTheBlackDog by @AllthePigs gives all important encouragement to men who struggle with their mental help; there's no shame in admitting it, chaps. Hard hitting words by Daniel Hallissey and skilful direction by @ConorNeaves. Go see @edfringe #edfringe
Sharita Oomeer @SharitaOomeer Aug 10
#InTheShadowOfTheBlackDog by @AllthePigs is beautifully detailed, important work focusing on male mental health. Enthralling writing & performance by Daniel Hallissey, deftly directed by the hugely talented @ConorNeaves. Go see @edfringe #edfringe
Chris Rogers @theChrisRogers Aug 9
Replying to @SpotlightUK @AllthePigs and @edfringeIt's really good!
Charlotte Peters @CharlottePeterz Aug 9
It's impossible to fit everything in at @edfringe. These are shows I didn't get to but I've heard awesome things about so definitely check them out: #InTheShadowoftheBlackDog by @allthepigs dir by @ConorNeaves at @AssemblyFest;
Isaura Barbé-Brown @isaura_bb Aug 9
Replying to @Davefriasrobles @AllthePigs and 8 others@Denied_TheShow you don't want to miss it! X
#InTheShadowOfTheBlackDog by @allthepigs is a simple but powerful show exploring masculine vulnerability. We don't talk about this stuff enough. Thank you for putting it centre stage @edfringe #edfringe #edfringe2019 https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/in-the-shadow-of-the-black-dog…
Bianca Stephens @Bianca_Tairayne Aug 5
If you're at the #edfringe check out @AllthePigs 'in the shadow of the black dog' I’ve heard good things if I was @ the fringe this year my tickets would already be booked !!!BOOK THOSE TICKETS PEOPLE
Chris Singleton @Singlebumm Aug 3
If you're at the #edfringe check out @AllthePigs 'in the shadow of the black dog' I laughed hard and cried harder and i'm still in awe the next day, so good!
Ffion Jones @FfionJones88 Aug 2
Well done Danny Hallisey and @AllthePigs. That was a really heartfelt and well written piece! In the Shadow of the Black Dog at @AssemblyFest. It was lovely seeing you smile on stage with us x
Robbie Butler @robbiejbutler Aug 2
Just caught the brilliant #Intheshadowoftheblackdog by @AllthePigs at @AssemblyFest. Such a great show, floored me at the end. Go see! #edfringe #edfringe2019
Isabel Dixon and Laura Singleton liked your Tweet
We had a lot of laughs and tears in our first preview and we’re ready to go again today at 18:30 for our second one. Catch us out and about with our QR code (instead of flyers) as we do our bit to save the planet! @AssemblyFest #InTheShadowOfTheBlackDog #EdFringe2019
Andrew Gower @TheAndrewGower Aug 2
If you happen to be at the fringe and wondering what to go and see ... pop along to this! @AllthePigs
Industry Feedback on the Script
“I really enjoyed ‘In the Shadow of the Black Dog’ and found it dark, stylish, funny and it’s consistently interesting and entertaining”
Owen Lewis, Director
“You kept the drama moving swiftly and the dialogue was really readable. You’ve written a deeply flawed, but charismatic central character.”
Gillian Greer, Senior Reader, National Theatre
“The writing is clever, witty and develops at a good pace. The situations are in turns moving and entertaining, created through an accomplished voice. You have created an entirely relatable, fully fleshed-out and distinct voice in your central character of Alquist. His real but unusual quirks make him feel very three-dimensional and completely human. Because he is so flawed it is incredibly easy to engage with the character for the entirety of the monologue. This is no mean feat! You tackle the subject matter with warmth, compassion, and complete understanding. It never feels laboured, another reason why the story is so compelling. I think this character is absolutely one we should be putting center stage, especially given the current crisis in men's mental health.” – George Turvey and Chris Foxon, Papatango Theatre Company
“Funny, honest and really moving.”
Francis Grin, Playwrite
“Funny, engaging, raw, brutally honest and a piece that has great potential as it is so relevant and current.”
Belinda Lang, Actress and Director
“Really great script, bravo.”
Greg Mosse, Writer & Director
“Daniel is an extremely thoughtful and brave writer of intelligence and wit, with intense honesty and humour, deftly pin-pointing recognisable and topical human traits and failings. He does not shy away from revealing aspects of himself in his work and drawing on personal experience. He shows a passion, combined with logic, for the art of story-telling which I have never witnessed before and I look forward to seeing what other stories he tells in the future. A solid script. Funny, engaging, heartfelt and raw. I loved it”
Libby Brodie, Producer, Libby Brodie Productions
“The script is brilliant. Intelligent writing. Great character. Well structured. It’s a strong story that raises important issues”
Annabel Bolton, Director
“The story is very moving and had my heart racing at points”
Hannah Tookey, Producer
"Really engaging. There were a few one-liners/turns of phrase that had me laughing, and I liked the way you deferred the action, and emotional pay off enough for the events to feel surprising as they came up."
John O'Donovan, Nick Hern Books
"The writing throughout has a raw, emotional undercurrent offset by a comic impulse that frequently finds expression in self-deprecation. This is typical of an instinct to sniff out moments of pathos and explore this man’s anguish with a combination of severity and levity."
BBC Writersroom
This is a very interesting stream of consciousness that is both humorous and incredibly dark. We loved how this piece grapples with huge themes around suicide and depression while incorporating lightness and humour as well as the characters’ humanity.
Ifrah Ismail and Deirdre O’Halloran, Bush Theatre
Let's make festivals go flyerless.
Last year the Ed Fringe highlighted, in 2018 there were over 3500 shows. Most companies order on average for the festival 10,000 flyers, to hand out to promote their shows. Combined, that works out at 546 trees. Just for the Edinburgh Fringe. Now think of all the festivals around the world and not just the arts.
All The Pigs are leading the way to change this.
Not only have we printed our show on jumpers, but we have also created a QR code you can scan with your phone’s camera and instantly a link will appear sending you to our shows booking and information page for Assembly at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This saves paper, waste, trees, is environmentally friendly and sustainable. It also cost the same amount spent to buy 10,000 flyers.
It's a revolution in promoting. It encourages interaction by engaging potential audience members in conversation. This flyer works on most social media platforms as well. All The Pigs are the first Theatre Company to champion this idea, for others to follow and change the way we think about promoting shows at festivals around the world.
Look at the Glastonbury Festival 2019 with the ban on single-use plastic bottles. If theatre festivals were to turn around and say no flyering or recyclable paper only, it would make creatives become creative in changing their strategy and approaches to selling their show.
All The Pigs champion this idea, for others to follow and change the way we think about promoting shows at festivals around the world. We want to campaign and champion festivals to stop the use of flyers.
We can achieve this with any modern smartphone, hover your camera over and click on the link that comes up. Our show's details will come up on your phone. No waste, no hassle, no problems.