Having read Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel only a few weeks before seeing the National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I wondered if this would be a hindrance or a help. But believe me, this touring NT production took the story of Asperger’s suffer Christopher onto yet another magical plane.
There are a number of complex threads woven throughout the play, all revolving around Christopher’s condition and the death of Wellington the dog with a pitchfork in a neighbour’s garden. Christopher (played magnificently by Joshua Jenkins) may have a complicated mind but he excels at reasoning and logic – hence his desire to sit A-Level maths. So he sets out to find who has murdered Wellington by asking neighbours questions.
When he finds out what his son is doing (down at the police station as a result of Christopher hitting an officer after being called by a neighbour) he forbids him to investigate any more and hides his notebook. But Christopher can’t stop.
We learn early on that Christopher’s mother is dead. One day she went into hospital and never came home, which makes his relationship with his father (played with equal measures of love, patience and frustration by the outstanding Stuart Laing) even more poignant. Until, that is, while searching for his notebook, Christopher unearths a secret cache of letters written to him from his mother after she has allegedly died, hidden in his father’s bedroom.
Following a chat with neighbour, Mrs Alexander, Christopher’s already fragile world starts to implode and he sets off to London to find his mother. As an audience, we are there with him, every challenging step of the way.
And this is where the terrific staging concept of this production comes into its own. A giant box filled with hidden doors through which props can be passed and kept, hides a plethora of lighting functions, which at times takes the play into a different dimension, most notably Christopher’s London Tube ride.
The box also represents Christopher’s outlook on life as an autism sufferer. Walls close in and everyday noise becomes unbearable. Most of us can filter out these distractions but Christopher can’t, which in turn lead to outbursts and breakdowns. And during these stressful times Christopher’s coping mechanism is to run through the prime numbers.
In short, this play, with an amazingly versatile cast, appeals to all ages as the audience at The Marlowe, Canterbury proved. The tour runs until November and I urge you to book immediately. It will make you laugh and cry but above all feel uplifted. And one final note, don’t rush off at the end as Christopher has a wonderful surprise for you!
IMAGE: BrinkhoffM + Ägen
Review by Dawn Hopley