The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by The Little Theatre Company
Written by Sam for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
The Little Theatre Company presents Mark Haddon’s novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, adapted by Simon Stephens at The Brewhouse Arts Centre this week. Fifteen-year-old, Christopher Boone, played by Joe Blake, discovers the body of his neighbour’s dog, Wellington. Following this harrowing discovery, Christopher sets out to investigate who committed such an abhorrent crime and records this in his book.
Throughout his investigation, he meets lots of his neighbours but soon befriends Mrs Alexander (Jodie Whitehead) who is keen to support Christopher. Mrs Alexander reveals that Christopher’s mum, Judy (Hannah Kirkpatrick) and neighbour Mr Shears (Mark Pearson) are really, really good friends and that they are ‘doing sex’. This is where Christopher becomes curious and things start to unravel for him, including the devastating truth about the fate of his mum.
The star of the show, Blake, portrays Christopher brilliantly. The mannerisms, the stuttering, body language. All of it. It’s a moving performance because it is clear Blake has researched and made Christopher his own. I imagine this role is quite challenging to take on because as an actor, you want to do it justice and believe me, Blake does just that. I was moved on several occasions because I couldn’t imagine how it must feel to be neurodivergent and having to try and combat the world at such a fast pace.
This play felt very authentic, especially in how it depicted the challenges of raising a neurodivergent child, including conflict, frustration, and sadness within a family. The broken relationship between Christopher’s parents, Ed (Rob Tunley) and Judy (Kirkpatrick), was difficult to watch. The betrayal from both parents, for different reasons, causes hurt and upset for Christopher, and the family home is no longer a safe space. It’s clear Judy loves Christopher but struggles to adapt to his needs, whereas Ed has watched Christopher grow up and built a strong bond with him until the truth of the incident is revealed.
As the cast is small, they each take on multiple roles, shifting their personalities and body language to match the characters they portray. I thought Siobhan (Sophie Towns), Mrs. Alexander (Whitehead), Mrs. Shears (Vicky Fryer), Mr. Shears (Pearson), the policeman (Matt Lesley), punk girl (Ania Rakic), and Reverend Peters (Phil Robinson) did an excellent job, effectively utilizing the stage. Several scenes required synchronized choreography and quick lines, which they executed well. If anything had gone wrong, it would have been obvious to the audience because the sequence would be out of sync, so credit to all.
The ending is one of the most powerful I’ve seen in a play. Christopher stands at center stage and repeats, ‘I can do anything,’ as he reflects on what he has accomplished in a short time. His character arc is remarkable, and he emerges as a stronger, more confident person. That scene gave me goosebumps and moved my two friends to tears—that’s how impactful it is. (Rob Tunley) and Judy (Kirkpatrick) was hard to watch. The betrayal from both parents, due to different reasons on their part, causes hurt and upset for Christopher, and the family home is no longer a safe space. It’s clear Judy loves Christopher but cannot adapt to his needs, whereas Ed has watched Christopher grow up and has built a strong relationship with him until the truth of the incident is revealed.
This is a must-see show as you leave the theatre reflecting on the issues highlighted within the play. If you haven’t yet secured a ticket, they are available until Saturday 28 June from here.
★ ★ ★ ★
