The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Birmingham Rep

4/5 stars

I have never read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time before, and nor have I seen any previous stage adaptations, so I had the luxury of arriving completely fresh to the world of Chris Boone; a world I found all at once, delightful, direct, and magical.

As the title suggests, Chis – a teen with severe autism - is confronted with a curious incident involving a dog in the night-time, which throws her into a forbidden journey of intrepid investigation.  After all, there are questions that need answers and problems that need solutions.  As we journey with Chris, and see the investigation unfold through her eyes, we gain a beautiful insight into her unvarnished, unfiltered view of the world around her.

This revived production, ably directed by Ned Bennett, made the decision to reimagine Chris as a young woman, something that The Rep’s artistic Director – Joe Murphy – hopes will “reveal another perspective” to the story.  The team also made a point of casting actors who are themselves neurodivergent, to “bring a new level of veracity” to the performance.  For me, these efforts landed beautifully.  The character of Chris was brought to life by Alex Keenan, who makes her professional debut in this role, and brings a raw honesty and beautiful vulnerability to the character that I found simultaneously charming and heartbreaking.

Surrounding Keenan are her long-suffering dad, Ed, played by Joe McFadden, and the haunting spectre of her absent mum, Judy, played by Charlie Brooks.  While Brooks’s Judy delivers a worthy arc, McFadden has a slightly standoffish tone that makes it hard to feel he’s truly the anchor of Chris’s uncertain world.  Instead, that position goes to Chris’s teacher, Siobhan, played by Bridgette Amofah, who offers much needed warmth and consistency to Chris, in a world that seems to lack it.

The jewel in the crown of this production, however, is the fantastic ensemble cast of Matthew Bulgo, Tom Clegg, Carla Garratt, Jerone Marsh-Reid, Alex Murdoch, Sera Mustafa, and Robert Penny, who bring Chris’s universe to life around her.  There’s a playful, anarchic energy to the company, that will only grow as the run progresses, and helps us see the world exactly as Chris perceives it.  From a frantic London underground to a short trip through space, the ensemble weave magic around Keenan, providing her the space to shine.

This is beautifully supported by Matt Hutchinson’s puppetry and Hayley Egan’s video design, which add the final touches of visual flare that make Chris’s world complete.  Eleanor Bull’s stage design and Giles Thomas’s sound design interweave perfectly, so Chris’ story arrives with us exactly as we need it.

As I mentioned, this is my first introduction to the story of Chris Boone, so whether this revival is a worthy successor to the interpretations that have gone before is not for me to say.

What I can say, is that this is a production borne of great creativity, but also of genuine care and respect for the story and the characters it represents.  A truly moving journey, that it well worth embarking on.

By: James Mickleson