Living in a wild world full of unpredictable creatures—beasts, beggars, witch hunters, and actors—William's family must find a way to cope with their changing Elizabethan world. With four legs, a keen eye, and a sharp tongue, Hooker, Shakespeare's dog, tells the story of how the Stratford rogue became the world's most famous playwright. Based on the novel by Leon Rooke, Shakespeare's Dog tells the tale of the Bard's life from a unique perspective, showing that in the Elizabethan era, lust, love, and lives collide, and it is anyone's guess who is top dog.

Rick Chafe’s plays have been seen across Canada and include Marriage: A Demolition in Two Acts, Shakespeare’s Dog (adapted from Leon Rooke’s Governor General’s Literary Award–winning novel), The Odyssey, and the Governor General’s Literary Award finalist The Secret Mask. Rick's first movie, Strike! adapted with co-writer Danny Schur from their stage musical, will premiere in 2019. Rick lives in Winnipeg with his wife and daughter.

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"In his bawdy stage adaptation… Winnipeg playwright Rick Chafe has richly imagined the circumstances that altered the course of literary history and set a grasping Stratford glover's son on the road to London and immortality." —What's on Winnipeg