The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The National Theatre of Great Britain’s production of Simon Stephens’s play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time reflects very well the tenor of Mark Haddon’s very popular 2003 novel, admirably translating to live theatre the novel’s depiction of the inner world of the play’s young protagonist, Christopher.  The play succeeds in adding nuances impossible in book form, and in fact is sprinkled throughout with delightful surprises, including circular references to writing the book and turning it into a play.

One major staging coup was an occasional combination of sensory inputs, including noises, impressive graphical elements, and choreography, which together conveyed for a minute at a time Christopher’s occasional sensory overload (though it could have done so equally well with the sound 120dB lower).  The choreography of such moments was original and dynamic and brilliantly complemented use of the impressive electronic stage set to illustrate Christopher’s thoughts and impressions.  But the entire set, sparse as it at first appears, allowed for surprise after surprise.  (The end of each act features special delights.)

Matching the brilliance of set design and technical lighting was the entire cast’s acting and staging.  Joshua Jenkins’s Christopher Boone was utterly convincing as the impossible young man that the play and the book depict, and, playing multiple roles, the relatively small cast played every other character too true to life, some depicting real insightfulness, some their confusion and discombobulation, and others simply droll disengagement, and even the unnamed passersby on stage contributed a great deal to the audience’s perception of Christopher’s world.  Though some conflicts played out perhaps more intensely than in real life they would have, the acting over all was engaging, appealing, and fresh, part of its charm lying in the variety of genuine British accents the cast brought with it.

Well worth seeing, this staging of Haddon’s tale contains moments that will remain with you for a long time.

John P Harvey

Image: Joshua Jenkins, in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.  Photographer: John P. Harvey.