The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2012)

 

Gotta love National Theatre Live.  What a terrific way to see fantastic plays!  I need to watch out – if I’m not careful, I might start to resent any London productions that don’t get recorded for cinema screenings!  Anyway, this time around, it’s a dramatized version of Mark Haddon’s famous novel.

 

Going in, I was curious as to how they’d pull it off. It's a very internal book, with so much of it living in Christopher’s precisely-detailed thoughts.  Granted, that sort of thing is easier to do onstage than in a movie, but it still presents an important challenge.  Any concerns, though, were quickly allayed.  This play incorporates Christopher’s thoughts and observations in creatively functional ways, while also wonderfully depicting the sensory chaos of a neurotypical world from the perspective of someone with autism.

 

One thing I like about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is that, though Christopher’s autism makes up an unmistakable aspect of his character, it isn’t the plot in and of itself.  Rather, the story is about his investigation into the death of his neighbor’s dog, as well as his relationships with his parents.  Christopher’s investigation sends him into unfamiliar territory, forcing him to change and adapt.  It also causes additional friction between him and his father and uncovers secrets that have been kept from him.  It’s a story about learning to venture out, learning to forgive, and learning to trust.  I really appreciate that.

 

That being said, the production is very autism-savvy.  The acting, direction, sound, lighting, and set all work together to help neurotypical people see the world through Christopher’s eyes.  When he’s in overwhelming situations, disorienting dubstep music assaults the senses, the ensemble is a source of constant noise, motion, and intrusive touching (they grab, push, and lift him at will,) and a barrage of lights and words flash across the otherwise-minimalist stage.  There’s information- and sensory-overload everywhere.

 

As I said, a decent chunk of Christopher’s narration from the book is brought to the play.  Sometimes, he delivers the monologues himself, but more often, they’re read aloud (from the book he’s writing) by his teacher, who’s almost ever-present onstage.  It’s a nice device, since it keeps Christopher in the action, and it’s interesting, since many of the lines sound stiff and technical as he wrote them, but his teacher reads them with warmth and feeling.  It helps the show get at the feelings Christopher of course has but has difficulty articulating or expressing in socially-conventional ways.

 

The acting is excellent across the board.  Luke Treadaway ably handles the physical and emotional demands of playing Christopher, and Paul Ritter does a fine job as his father, a man who’s half-drowning in his struggles, who frequently gets it wrong but who’s trying desperately.  Additionally, Sherlock fans will recognize Una Stubbs (Mrs. Hudson) as Christopher’s neighbor.

 

Warnings

 

Thematic elements, some strong language, sexual references, and drinking.