DODOS - Dirk Gently Stage Show

The Road Theatre Company's production of "Dirk" will run September 29th to December 2nd 2006. There will be previews on September 26, 27 & 28th. (PRESS RELEASE - The Road Theatre Company, 5108 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601)

The stage has had a long tradition of great detectives.

Dirk Gently does not belong to it.

A 200-year old Greek pot. An ordinary modern salt cellar lodged inside. This is impossible (or at least inexplicable)! From the mind of Douglas Adams, who brought you The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, comes DIRK; a ghost / horror / detective / time-travel / romantic comedy / epic that begins with a seemingly innocent conjuring trick and ends with the most devastating secret of humankind!

All this and a musical number!

The production is based on my favourite Douglas Adams novel - "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" and I do hope the marvellous Dodo scene will be included. I'd love to see pictures of the Dodo make-up or costume!

Here's the beginning of the scene in question...

A large cross bird was looking at Richard and Richard was looking at a large cross bird. Richard was looking at the bird as if it was the most extraordinary thing he had ever seen in his life, and the bird was looking at Richard as if defying him to find its beak even remotely funny.

Once it had satisfied itself that Richard did not intend to laugh, the bird regarded him instead with a sort of grim irritable tolerance and wondered if he was just going to stand there or actually do something useful and feed it. It padded a couple of steps back and a couple of steps to the side and then just a single step forward again, on great waddling yellow feet. It then looked at him again, impatiently, and squarked an impatient squark.

The bird then bent forward and scraped its great absurd red beak across the ground as if to give Richard the idea that this might be a good area to look for things to give it to eat.

"It eats the nuts of the calvaria tree," called out Reg to Richard.

Apparently, there was a suggestion that the Calvaria tree required its seeds to be digested by Dodos before they would germinate. However, it appears that this is not the case (Dodo page) and there are Calveria trees on Mauritius that sprouted AFTER the dodo's extinction. It would seem that the trees are not particularly rare.