Review: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME at Stagecraft
Running from 30 April to 10 May at Gryphon Theatre.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a play by Simon Stephens based on the novel of the same name by Mark Haddon. During its 2012 premiere run in the UK, the play tied the record for winning the most Olivier Awards (7) at the time including Best New Play.
The story concerns a mystery surrounding the death of a neighbour's dog that is investigated by young Christopher Boone, who is autistic. It explores his relationships with his parents and school mentor.
As we made our way into the theatre we were confronted by the titular dog lying centre stage having been run through with a pitch fork. Was quite the introduction to this work.
The set was sparse, with cubes, rectangles and triangles cleverly moved around to create the various spaces where the action is taking place. I particularly liked the yellow line of the train platform created with a simple yellow ribbon and also the graphics projected against the wall throughout this production.
The directors (Joy Hellyer and Paul Kay) created the perfect space for this production and teamed with an excellent cast have produced a beautifully thoughtful play that will stay with you long after the curtain call.
Lighting design (Mike Slater) worked well within this space.
The cast all performed well, most notably Simi Ready as Christopher, who shouldered the majority of the work in this production, yet did it will skill and ease. Mike McJorrow as Ed also delivered a memorable performance as Christopher's father. Mary Coffey as the narrator and school mentor was also impressive delivering a necessarily understated performance throughout.
I really enjoyed the cast sitting around the stage throughout the night, at times becoming a character in the play and other times being the manifestation of Christopher's consciousness.
This isn't a comedy as there is a serious story to tell, though it is sprinkled with humour which lightens the tone.
Overall, this is an impressive work that you may still be processing the next day or for even longer. If you get a chance to see this, take it, you will surely be moved.
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