Overview
Pet Side Story reinvents Leonard Bernstein’s classic musical West Side Story, itself based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, swapping warring families for dogs and cats. These mongrels and moggies are always fighting, simply because that’s the way things are!
Otherwise, Pet Side Story is a wholly original tale of friendship and loyalty as well as trust and mistrust, joy and sadness, and isolation and togetherness. This primary school musical is a story driven by a cast of unforgettable characters, each with their own personality.
Among the dog pack, we have:
- Jack, our hero and a very resourceful sheepdog
- Chorizo and Chipolata, whimsical daydreaming dachshunds
- Fiesta, the so-called King of the Canines, who’s as fun as he is tough
In the cats’ corner, there’s:
- Melody, a Burmese cat who radiates class and grace
- Fury, a Maine Coon with a fiery temper and a furball problem
- Cappuccino, a Bobtail with plenty of attitude
Then there’s the dreaded Animal Catcher, heard but never seen, a constant threat to the gangs’ freedom and survival…
Pet Side Story is a musical for primary schools in which every part matters, every character has a unique identity, and every performer has the opportunity to enjoy a meaningful role or form part of the important ensemble.
Synopsis
The primary school musical opens with the cats and dogs asking why they’re always fighting like, well, cats and dogs (CATS & DOGS). They arrive at no answers.
It’s Friday night, and the cats’ turn to raid the bakery leftovers (THE BACK OF THE BAKERY), but Jack, Fiesta and some other dogs are intent on spoiling the party. While his pack chases the cats away, Jack gathers up the pastries and accidentally meets Melody. They get talking, and a friendship is born!
Meanwhile, the cats question the existence of dogs, and the dogs wonder about the existence of cats (WHAT IS THE POINT?). They arrange a final battle to decide, once and for all, who stays and who goes. The problem for Fiesta — top dog and all-around mischief-maker — is that his right-hand dog is missing.
As Jack and Melody begin to realise how much they have in common (MORE LIKE YOU), the final battle approaches. Threats rain down, and the pair fear that their friendship may be at an end (GONNA GET YOU), but the unexpected arrival of the Animal Catcher puts everyone’s hackles up and lands a few in The Pound — Jack included!
A few days later, the cats are grooming (PLAY IT COOL) when news arrives that Diesel and Smokey, along with two dogs, have been snatched by the Animal Catcher and are likely to be permanent residents of The Pound. Melody is crestfallen when she learns that one of the dogs is Jack, but imagine the horror when the other cats realise she is friends with a dog!
In The Pound, the ‘lifers’ make the newcomers feel far from welcome (THE ANIMAL CATCHER). Jack suggests to his friend Sherlock, as well as Diesel and Smokey, that they should work together to escape, to the cats’ contempt. He wonders whether he will ever see Melody again and if she is alright (SOMEWHERE).
Jack realises that their only chance of escape is being as charming and cute as possible when the humans come looking for pets. By raising their paws, cocking their heads, rolling around and doing sad eyes (IF YOU’RE SMART), the four manage to win over the humans and make their daring escape.
Just in time, too, as top cat Fury is about to give Melody her marching orders! Jack and the other escapees return and convince the dogs and cats that their feud must end, that friendship is better than fighting and that he and Melody will be friends no matter what anyone else thinks.
As the dogs and cats gradually come round to his way of thinking (WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER WAR), it’s only bitter Fury who is left desperately seeking support for his personal vendetta against all dogs everywhere.
