Review: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME at Goodwood Theatre And Studios

Reviewed by Ewart Shaw, Friday 12th April 2024.

In the Sherlock Holmes story, from which the title comes, it is the fact that the watchdog doesn’t bark that proves the criminal was well known and accepted. In this production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, from Flying Elephant Productions and Limelight Theatrics, the dog does nothing except lie front and centre, pinned down by a garden fork. Lying doggo, indeed. So, whodunnit? The task of finding out who killed Wellington is taken up by fifteen-year-old Christopher Boone, who is somewhere on the neurodivergent spectrum, fascinated by numbers, and prone to striking out when touched.

It's a compelling performance by Benji Riggs, only a few weeks after his production and performance of The Boy and the Golden Fox at the Norwood Town Hall. Physically and vocally, he creates a strong and sympathetic character around which the show revolves. It turns out that both he and Wellington are victims of the same perpetrator, and I won’t tell you who it is.

With the simplest of props and set Director, Nick Fagan, has forged a show fuelled by the energy of his cast of ten. They never leave the stage, sitting to the back of the action on white boxes which are seats, cupboards, toilets, or whatever is required. These are sturdy but light enough to be picked up and moved around by the cast as necessitated by the action. The rehearsal process must have been amazing and their ensemble work is a most enjoyable part of the show’s success.

The killing of the dog, Wellington, is the key to another mystery. What happened to Christopher‘s mother Judy? She died; or did she?. Okay, she ran off to London with the husband of the dog owner. She couldn’t cope with a disabled child. Christopher finds the letters that she had sent and which his father had concealed from him. He finds her address. He goes to London from Swindon. He brings his mother home.

Brendan Cooney as his father, Ed, turns in a sympathetic performance of a man who dearly loves his son but is adrift. His mother, played by Nicole Rutty, loves him, too, but chose to leave. She gives an articulate show of regret. Michelle Nightingale, with a delicious soft Irish accent, is Siobhan, teacher, counsellor, and, in this adaptation of Mark Haddon’s book, narrator. There are meta moments that remind us that we might be watching the proposed school play version of Christopher’s book of his adventures. It’s the joy of theatrical storytelling alluded to in a few offhand remarks. Simon Stephens’ adaptation is really clever.

Around this core cast swirls a hardworking bunch adept at quick changes of costume, voice, and identity. Jack Robins and Jean Walker stand out but indeed they also take the lead at some point or another. Claire Keene’s headmistress, perky Mrs Gascoyne, is delightful, but there is strong support from Gavin Cianci, Alexander Woollatt, and Jessica Corrie.

And, yes, there is another dog whose cameo appearance just charmed the audience, and reminded us of the dictum, never to work with children or animals.

The Goodwood Theatres play home this week to two separate productions, and so the bar area is crowded and there’s a long queue for the toilets, but it certainly reinforces the importance of this venue to Adelaide theatre.

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