The Curious Incident Of The Dog In
The Night-Time
Location: Gieguld Theatre
Date Seen: 5th January 2016
Seen With: 1 Family Member & 1 Friend
Understudies at This Performance: N/A
Summary
The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time follows protagonist Christopher
Boone as he seeks to solve the murder of his neighbour’s dog. During his
investigations he uncovers another mystery which sees him travel from Swindon
to London
Acting
The
acting is a thing of beauty in this show. As mentioned in the summary autism is
brought to the forefront from different perspectives of someone with autism.
All the performances were believable and every actor was alive to their
surroundings which were particularly showcased in the larger ensemble scenes.
Numerous comedic moments and breaking of the fourth wall are delivered
brilliantly by all the cast members due to a clear focus and good timing.
Moments of silence saw some beautiful acting specifically two separate scenes
featuring Christopher and his dad including a scene where the two are simply
watching rain fall.
Music & Songs
The
music enhances what is going on onstage and is balanced perfectly as it does
not distract or take anything away from the actor’s performances. It is used in greater capacity for movement
pieces such as the train station which assists in conveying how Christopher
experiences it being much louder and more claustrophobic than you or I might do
and really heightens his panic.
Choreography
I
have to commend the ensemble for bringing Christopher’s sight of the world to
life with all the movement and transitions being dynamic and smooth. The
choreography is used to convey how Christopher sees things inside his own mind
through the use of physical theatre and lifts. The choreography by Scott Graham
& Steven Hoggett for Frantic Assembly uses everyday movements and exaggerates
them without them feeling like dance. The use of levels and use of the ensemble
in unison creates an impactful visual. Time and space are cleverly depicted
with specific reference to a scene where Christopher describes how long his
elderly neighbour Mrs Alexander takes to complete a task. They use the
slow-motion of Mrs Alexander against the sped up movements of the remaining
neighbours in their homes in a time-lapse style sequence which explores time
visually with great effect.
Direction
Marianne
Elliot’s direction is what has really helped this piece come to life. Each
scene has something special due to the way a piece of choreography has been
inserted, the choice of music or the way props have been used. One of my
favourite scenes was Christopher in his bedroom with the lights on. All the
other lights were off but you could hear an argument. I thought this way of
portraying how a child hears an argument with the use of the actors on stage
and the choices of lighting and staging reflected on how well direction is used
throughout.
Set/Lighting
I
knew prior to seeing this that the set and lighting played a big part hence why
I had booked dress circle seats over stalls seats. The use of lights and
projections depicts Christopher’s thoughts and is also used to depict different
locations. For example, rather than bringing on pieces of set to represent
different house, lights on the floor outline each house to identify the new
location. Use of small props and boxes on stage to create set pieces are all pre-set
at the side of the stage in view for swift transitions that assist with the
flow of the show.
Costumes
The
costumes in this production are minimalist. Important figures such as policeman
and station staff are dressed accordingly but most of the time everyone is
dressed in ‘everyday wear’ which is all this show needs.
Stand Out Performances
Siôn Daniel Young
as Christopher Boone: As the lead in this play, Siôn dominates the stage time.
He portrays Christopher’s intellect and vulnerability with such strength. In a
Q&A afterwards he said how he visited schools with pupils on the spectrum,
read books and watched many documentaries to prepare for the role as well as
spending 10 minutes before the show goes up to emotionally prepare to step in
Christopher’s world. It shows in the competence of his performance and I’m sure
he will go far in the future.
Nicholas
Tennant as Ed Boone: As Christopher’s dad, I really saw the struggle in the
character to deal with his son’s and his own emotions. This internal conflict
came across in such a natural way on stage that I’d like to see Nicholas in
another production in the future.
Show to Show Comparisons
A
play I can liken this to was my trip to see Gods and Monsters at the Southwark
Playhouse last March. Like Gods and Monsters, the acting in this piece is alive
and you feel connected with the protagonist’s feelings.
Would I Recommend?
Yes
- not only is the subject matter insightful, the piece is beautifully acting
and extremely engaging. If you do see this, sit in the dress or grand circles
to see the set from the best angle.
Overall Verdict (Out of 5 Stars):
5 Stars
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