As I kick off my Camden Fringe Festival coverage, I began with a charming play called ‘Sick Dog,’ which incidentally does not have a dog as a cast member! Winne (Cara Crofts) shares her flat with her friend Eliza (Pearl D’Souza), and they hang out and share household duties, and this is your usual flatmates play…until you realise that Eliza is not human, but a humanoid! We learn that Winnie has been existing in her flat for months and has an illness which has made her unable to work. Eliza is stepping in to help where she can, and she is also learning about Winnie’s characteristics and mimicking them in an attempt to learn more about humans to integrate more authentically.
Directed by Lily Gilchrist, the play is set in Winnie’s flat and revolves around Winnie’s illness and the effect that it is having on her everyday life, not being able to work. Invariably, this can lead to loneliness, but Eliza is to some extent her saviour, as she has become a friend to her, rather than her robot. They watch TV, bitch about Love Island, and Eliza has developed a crush on Idris Elba! We learn that Winnie’s career developing humanoids was a successful one, and the irony of her dependence for both her physical and friendship needs…is not lost!
This is a deeply human play, Eliza is a mirror to Winnie, she is honest and does not hide behind emotions, and the performances from Crofts and D’Souza reflect this. Writer Maariya Khalid’s storyline moves along nicely, with the story developing and becoming a blueprint of Winnie’s life, she can open up and talk about life, family, and her romantic life without having to worry about being judged by Eliza.
The area of the play that I feel needs addressing is the ending. After developing the story, we know that Winnie has an illness and that she will not recover, but the play did not come to a natural ending, it felt as though the ending was abrupt and would benefit from some development in this area. The writing overall was of a good standard, and the performers related well to each other, character development worked well, and the set worked well and was relevant to the play.
Overall, I would suggest a little tinkering with the ending is needed, but this is an endearing play, and worth spending the time on enhancing its closure.
The Camden Fringe Festival runs is over, but you can catch the play at The Bread & Roses Theatre from the 11th-13th August at 7pm. To book tickets and to find out more go to – https://camdenfringe.com/events/sick-dog/
Reviewer: Caroline Worswick
Reviewed: 7th August 2026
North West End UK / Theatre Muse UK Rating: