This may be a tale told by a dog, but it isn’t a shaggy dog story. It is a moving and perceptive tale about hate, shame, pain and ultimately humanity. In dangerous times, amidst the mess of human existence, light can shine, and there is hope.
Storyteller Robin Simpson bounds onto the stage and tells us he is Sam, an emotional support dog trained to look after us all. He has been assigned to a Year 9 class, which means children aged 13 to 14.
Catherine Dyson’s script is structured through a series of pictures described by Sam. We are invited to imagine these images sometimes from the kids’ perspective, at times from our own, and even to envision how the people in those photos might have been feeling at the time.
A swastika has been drawn on a locker, and even though the children might not know what that symbol represents, the teacher decides to take them to a museum to educate them about the holocaust and antisemitism.
We take a literal journey with those children as they travel by coach on their school trip. Sam, as you would expect from an emotional support dog, is a reassuring presence as we embark on our tour. He frequently performs a headcount to confirm we are all present and checks that we are OK.
The piece starts with the house lights up, but slowly, as the images get more horrifying, things get darker. Colour is integral to the story as Sam detects the colours emanating from people as they view each picture.
Director John R. Wilkinson uses light adroitly, cleverly shifting the colour palette from subtle whites to blood red. He has Sam move into the audience as he describes a terrible image, so well-known from countless Holocaust movies, but the fact that he is behind everyone makes it even starker and more effective.
Simpson is a remarkable storyteller. He knows how to pace the narrative, sometimes slowing it down and, when required, speeding it up. Despite the horror, he is a comforting presence, like Sam the dog, but what shines through is not just his empathy but, as I have already said, humanity. We are taken through the most awful event of the twentieth century, and he makes you feel and see it in a way you have never felt or seen it before.
I have visited Auschwitz, and what hit me most of all were the photos of the people who were killed. Most people can tell you that six million Jews were exterminated by the Nazis, but when you see the faces of those who were murdered, it somehow makes it more palpable and real.
This is why this story, told in little over an hour, is so effective because it puts those images, some of which you will have seen in history programmes, into your mind’s eye. It also makes you see them anew, through a child’s eyes, and relive the horror you felt the first time you were taught about that period of history.
As the world becomes increasingly insecure and irrational, this is a timely story and well worth seeing.
It continues at HOME until Saturday 21 February – https://homemcr.org/whats-on/the-last-picture-mmtx before continuing touring in the UK – https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/the-last-picture.
Reviewer: Adam Williams
Reviewed: 18th February 2026
North West End UK Rating: