The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time 7.2.2017

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (TCIOTDITNT) follows the investigative adventures of a teenager “Christopher” who describes himself as having ‘behavioural problems’. The play is an adaption of Mark Haddon’s 2003 book by the same name, and has won multiple Olivier and Tony Awards.

My first experience of TCIOTDITNT was back in 2003, when my college chose to read the book as part of our English Literature class. Although i have been made aware now that Christopher’s condition is not specified, when i read the book a staggering 14 years ago it was considered a ground breaking fictional insight into the challenges of living with autism/asperger’s. 

The play introduces Christopher Boone (Scott Reid), and the revelation that Mrs Shears’ (Eliza Collings)  dog has been murdered (he was called Wellington by the way). The opening scene uncovers Christopher’s struggles with ‘fitting in’ and understanding unspoken societal rules, highlighting how intolerant our world is of anyone ‘different’. The police officer made me cringe – a shining example of someone not knowing how to approach or converse with someone displaying unusual behaviours or learning needs. 

I absolutely adored the relationship between Christopher and his father, Ed Boone (David Michaels). I was blown away by the emotionally charged scenes, and the depiction of a relationship ripped apart by love, frustration, guilt, lies and a wish to ‘make everything better’. One of my favorite scenes was insignificant terms of special effects, but had a lasting impact on me.  In this scene Christopher and his father were talking about the rain, and Christopher explains how all the water in the world is connected. Christopher’s words were so incredibly poignant, and his father’s face spoke a thousand words… irritation, mild amusement, pride, wonder, peace, acceptance…

The play builds an intricate picture of Christopher’s ecosystem and his black and white view of the world. The National Theatre exceeded all my expectations in giving the audience a comprehensive insight into the workings of Christopher’s mind, and the chalk/blackboard set was a decadent sensory experience. 

I was truly amazed at how inventive a performance could be, and the lighting/sound team must be commended for their perfect timing throughout. On occasion both the visual and audio could be overwhelming – a clearly deliberate manoeuvre to give the audience a taste of life through Christopher’s eyes. The scenes in the train station and underground were amazing, truly captivating and slightly terrifying. Observing the sadness, distress, anxiety and communication failures left me uncomfortable, but for all the right reasons.  The script was cleverly devised to inject humour throughout and i liked the occasional reference to the fact that what i was watching was infact a play rather than the here and now!

I was thrilled to see so much physical theatre throughout the entire performance, Christopher imagining life as an astronaut had me grinning from ear to ear. What an incredibly well thought out, synchronised and fun way to get inside the brain of a 15 year old. The entire cast worked in perfect harmony and unison to mimic the movements of train journeys and many other daily actions were made so special and unique during the show.  I had read a disclaimer about no animals being harmed, which i took to be a joke! There is a good reason for this statement (which i won’t share so the surprise isn’t spoilt!) but i will say i was relieved to realise that Christopher’s pet may not have actually been in its carrier the entire time he was travelling through London!

One of my favorite shows in a long time. What a treat.  A heart wrenching, grin inducing, beautiful, reflective piece of spectacular modern theatre. A must see!!!

This show is on until 11th Feb 2017 at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. Click link below for ticket info 

https://new-www.atgtickets.com/venues/aylesbury-waterside-theatre/shows/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-nighttime