Presented by: The Flying Elephant Company & Limelight Theatrics
Reviewed: 5 April, 2024
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is Simon Stephens’s adaptation of the best-selling and incredible novel of the same title by Mark Haddon. The unique structure and approach to storytelling within the novel is highly engaging and develops character in a non-traditional means. This approach to story carries into the play, with a few nods to the change in format.
The story centres on fifteen-year-old Christopher, who is neurodivergent and struggles with understanding social norms. One night Mrs Shear, who is a neighbour, her dog is found killed by a garden fork and Christopher who doesn’t act in the manners considered ‘normal’ is considered a strong suspect.
Skilled with an understanding and love for numbers, Christopher takes it upon himself to make things add up and question, in his own awkward way, all possible suspects in the neighbourhood. All his discoveries are written down in his diary as more and more layers he never knew about begin to peel away, exposing more from social interactions he never realised occurred nor thought he’d confront.
This latest production of the play is a wonderful highlight of the local theatre talent available. They maintain closeness to the source text in style and characterisation. There are some slippages between the UK accents but these are generally lost in the overall show.
While the leads take on solid performances of the key four roles, the rest of the cast shift effectively between quite a range of characters that Christopher confronts in his journey. Small changes in costume and posture demonstrated the thriving community skill within the performers. Their transitioning between scenes and staging were smooth and well-paced, and with a small cast made a fair size crowd of characters on stage.
The use of a dozen identical white boxes are the only pieces of staging used but the performers’ adaptation of them effortlessly marks time and place through the narrative, such as switching the boxes from the markers for doors, to heaving them as if well-packed travel luggage.
The use of the additional actors, sound, and lighting created an effective, immersive demonstration of some ASD sensory overload experiences. Toward the second half of the play the full intensity of the breakdowns did wane somewhat in impact from regular exposure to similar style shutdowns.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is peppered with humour, predominantly unintentional wit, which adds moments of joy and tension breaks from quite serious and intense human interactions.
This local production of the play stars Gavin Cianci, Brendan Cooney, Jessica Corrie, Claire Keen, Michelle Nightingale, Jack Robins, Benji Riggs, Nicole Rutty, Jean Walker, Alex Woollatt. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is playing seven nights in this run at the Goodwood Theatre, ending Saturday 13th April 2024.
Reviewed by Alex Dunkin
Photo credit: Greg Adams
Venue: Goodwood Theatre, 166 Goodwood Road, Goodwood
Season: 4-13 April 2024
Duration: 2hrs 30mins
Tickets: $30.30 – $35.30
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1146263
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