Top Dogs (tour)

David Mamet‘s Glengarry Glen Ross exposed the cut throat world of sales and the ‘survival of the fittest’ company strategies. I wanted Urs Widmer’s Top Dogs to be as good as this claustrophobic drama but it falls way short.

The setting is the corporate world of an outplacement agency for sacked executives. This in effect seems like a positive environment. But as the rejected six begin their training they and the audience become aware that the programme includes some harsh home-truths and unorthodox methods.

Stuart McGugan is the unsuspecting latest ‘victim’ who believes that he is on board to lead rather than to follow. Mary Keegan plays the leader of the agency with real verve and biting wit. Patrick Driver steals most scenes as a snivelling wreck- waiting to be transformed. Julia Marsen is also excellent as a woman who has fallen from the top of her profession only to become a frightened hermit, unable to communicate without laughing hysterically.

Patricia Benecke ensures that the stage is filled with movement and Urs Widmer‘s script is littered with stinging attacks on capitalism. But the problem is that the messages are constantly repeated until there is nothing more to say. But on comes another scene just in case the audience is left puzzled. Some scenes have resonance as they do demonstrate how high achieving folk are like cattle waiting to be slaughtered, only to be replaced by the next young calf. But you may feel that you have seen this covered many times before. Michael Sheldon‘s character, for example, leaves for work every day but spends his days in the cinema – hiding from his family and the awful truth. This plot device has been seen in numerous plays and films including Glen Ross and Falling Down.

There are some redeeming features, apart from the cast; Jo Joelson‘s stark set design and lighting brilliantly evoke the empty world that these ex high flyers now share. David Gilchrist‘s sound score is also chillingly effective.

Ultimately Top Dogs is an amusing satire which will entertain and shock some people. But others may smile and nod knowingly as they have seen the material delivered with much more bite elsewhere.

– Glenn Meads