A bold and thought-provoking new sci-fi comedy, Melbourne Theatre Company presents The Robot Dog – which begins preview performances tonight (Saturday 1 March) at Southbank Theatre, The Lawler.
Packed with humour, this story sinks its teeth into some of the most provocative and challenging questions of our time and invites audiences to reflect on the intersection of technology, culture, and human connection.
Set in Australia in 2042, where automation shapes everyday life, The Robot Dog is an imaginative exploration of what it means to connect to culture and how technology has shaped language, grief and identity in an all too-believable future.
Janelle, a woman of Cantonese heritage, and her partner Harry, a First Nations man, move back into Janelle’s family home after the death of her mother. As they attempt to navigate their work, relationship and job seeking requirements, they find themselves assisted by the quirky AI controlling their home and a robotic therapy dog.
Janelle and Harry are quickly swept into a world of augmentations, restrictions and chaos. The Robot Dog is a collaboration that seamlessly blends laughter with sharp social commentary, exploring whether a high-tech world strengthens connections or ultimately hinders them.
Created by Hong Kong-born multidisciplinary artist Roshelle Yee Pui Fong and Luritja writer and technologist Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan, with direction by Amy Sole, fresh off the success of the Melbourne Theatre Company x Ilbijerri Theatre Company Blak in the Room collaboration in 2024.
“Being part of this work has been a joy and a deep reckoning – stepping into a world shaped by two cultures that are not my own and learning from them,” says director Amy Sole. “The best theatre doesn’t just tell a story – it wrestles with something real. It surprises us, drags us under, and spits us back out, changed. The Robot Dog does all of that and more.”
Part of Melbourne Theatre Company’s acclaimed Education & Families program and originally commissioned through the NEXT STAGE Writers’ Program, this genre-defying production unpacks race, grief, and code switching with wit and warmth. The Robot Dog is presented in association with Australia’s major triennial of Asia-Pacific performance Asia TOPA from Arts Centre Melbourne
Director: Amy Sole | Featuring: Jing-Xuan Chan, Ari Maza Long, Kristie Nguy | Set & Costume Designer: Nathan Burmeister | Lighting Designer: BROCKMAN | Composer & Sound Designer: Chun Yin Rainbow Chan | Cultural Design Consultant: Kat Chan | Luritja-Pintupi Language Consultant: Lavinia Napaltjarri Heffernan | Cantonese Language Consultant: Samantha Kwan | Movement Consultant: Lyndall Grant | Writers: Roshelle Yee Pui Fong, Matthew Ngamurarri Heffernan
The Robot Dog
Southbank Theatre, The Lawler, Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
Season: 5 – 21 March 2025 (previews: 1 – 4 March)
Information and Bookings: www.mtc.com.au
Following the Melbourne season, The Robot Dog will tour regionally to Ballarat in March and Mildura in April.
Image: The Robot Dog in rehearsal – photo by Tiffany Garvie