Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep has a great title and a great premise; sadly, it doesn’t live up to these expectations. The show starts well with laconic projected comments on the screen, warning us there will be audience participation and zombies involved. John Butler, the performer, raises an eyebrow dryly in response to this and we start to think we’re in for a quirky, tongue-in-cheek treat. Sadly, this promise is not sustained.
Butler, who uses the stage name Woodlouse, sings to us about zombies, often strumming on his ukulele. The backing track is melodic and the songs often have amusingly wry lyrics, particularly when we’re invited to imagine watching the neighbours’ kids chow down on brains. However, they just go on too long, repeating chorus and verses, rehashing the same thoughts.
Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep’s music is accompanied by a backdrop of cartoon images which are very Gerald Scarfe and Quentin Blake: full of energy and naïve simple movement. As an image zooms larger and larger it often creates a striking visual effect. This tends to pall after it’s been repeated five times.
Butler’s co-star is a life-size cardboard cut-out puppet: Butler’s lover. The puppet is effectively incorporated into the action; it even has an additional smiling mouth that can be popped on and off. But once this concept has been repeatedly used, it loses interest.
The story is told through songs and the cartoon video but lacks variety of pace, and each song feels similar in tone to the next. The narrative is very simple and the zombie invasion starts and ends with an earthquake. We are asked to consider if zombies have the same rights as the living, but it’s all a little superficial.
Do Zombies Dream of Undead Sheep has flickers of brilliance and I really wanted to like it, but it needs a massive shot of energy and a dramaturg who can whip it into a more cohesive and exciting theatrical experience. Otherwise, we are watching a mildly entertaining hour of songs with a few pictures and a puppet, and that’s just not enough to sustain any audience.
