THE Heart of a Dog is a one-man show from Simian Features actor Gordon Duffy-McGhie, which had its world premiere in Whorlton Village Hall on Saturday night.

The basis of the story revolves round plastic surgeon Professor Philip Philipovich Preobrazensky’s medical experiments and what happens when he pops the human pituitary gland of a recently deceased drunk into a stray proletarian dog.

Set in Moscow and based on a book by Mikhail Bulgakov, (Master and Margarita), The Heart of a Dog is written from the dog’s perspective; a savage vision of the dangers of canine cosmetic surgery indeed.

Duffy-McGhie’s dog Sharik really is the top banana in the fruit bowl. He’s an overenthusiastic cockney dog with a speech impediment and is totally barking mad.

As a human he’s hysterical, both funny and peculiar. He drinks vodka, goes to the zoo and gets married, all performed with fabulous energy and a rather appealing understanding of canine behaviour.

The show is going to Prague Fringe next week and then tours in the North-East.