Yes, there’s an actual dog towards the end. The two hours and forty-minute running time that the National Theatre and West End productions had has been cut down to two hours and five minutes, and all for the better. Interestingly, there’s even a ninety-minute interval-free version available for theatre companies to perform. This version retains a lot of the elements of the original production – there are boxes on stage that are moved around and serve multiple purposes, and at least in part to enable swift scene changes, members of the company are sometimes sat on the periphery of the stage until the precise moment at which their presence in a scene is required.
I liked the projected still and moving images – almost always something of a two-edged sword at the theatre, because while they help to differentiate between a scene in, say, a local park during the day when it is dry, and another one during a rainy night indoors, it leaves less to the imagination. In the latter, for instance, the script makes it clear it is raining outside. The thoughts of Christopher Boone (an engaging Rory Hodson), a teenager who attends a ‘special’ school, as opposed to a mainstream one, are made clear through a book he has written, snippets of which are read out as the show progresses.
This is, in essence, amateur dramatics at its finest – this production takes a show with West End and Broadway runs well within living memory and stamps its own authority on the material. There’s less music, such that there is a greater dependence on the text to speak for itself. The word ‘autism’ is not used anywhere in the show, though it is clear by Christopher’s conduct and interactions – or sometimes, lack thereof – with other people, that he is often misinterpreted, even by his own parents. Then again, I would imagine more teenagers fit that description than don’t.
It’s a busy, bustling stage – the footsteps that can be heard in scenes with plenty of movement suggest that, in Christopher’s world, almost anywhere with crowds could be as stressful and noisy as trying to navigate Paddington Station for the first time. The show is set in the early 2010s, and indicative of how quickly the world really has moved on even since then, Christopher isn’t carrying a smartphone, pays cash for a train ticket and even finds himself buying a paper copy of the London A-Z. How would he have re-established contact with his mother Judy (Holly Gillanders) these days? A Zoom meeting? FaceTime?
With a mind that works as intensely as Christopher’s, it’s easy to remain invested in a briskly paced story. I am not nearly as interested in mathematics or space exploration as he is, this show is a glorious exploration of neurodivergent thinking. Without being too didactic about it, it’s a celebration of the likes of Siobhan (Claire Durrant), a teacher at Christopher’s school who handles delicate and sensitive matters with the right kind of tact and diplomacy.
I recognise there are very valid criticisms of the source material – it would appear that Christopher ‘gets away’ with acts of violence, in the sense that these are largely unchallenged. As far as this production goes, however, it was a spirited portrayal of growing up in a world, despite being seemingly more open-minded, still demands much in terms of expectations of what is ‘normal’. A delightful couple of hours of vibrant and energetic theatre.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Christopher Boone is 15 years old. He has pet rat called Toby, his favourite colour is red, and he is brilliant at maths. When he discovers that Wellington, his neighbour’s dog, has been killed with a garden fork, he sets out to investigate the murder. But one mystery leads to another, and Christopher gets a lot more than he bargained for when he uncovers a disturbing family secret. With his life thrown into turmoil, he sets out alone on a terrifying journey to London. What he finds there will change him and his future forever.
From award-winning novel to award-winning stage play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time tells the story of a neurodiverse boy navigating a neurotypical world, and the journey he takes to find his place in it.
Christopher Boone – Rory Hobson
Siobhan – Claire Durrant
Ed – Andrew Miller
Judy – Holly Gillanders
Mrs Alexander/Posh Woman/Voice Six – Mary Davies
Mrs Shears/Mrs Gascoyne/Voice One/Woman on Train/Woman on Heath/Shopkeeper – Alison Griffin
Roger (Mr Shears)/Duty Sergeant/Voice Two/Mr Wise/Man Behind Counter/Drunk One – James Rushbrooke
Policeman One/Mr Thompson/Voice Three/Drunk Two/Man with Socks/London Policeman – Dan Wilson
No 40/Voice Five/Lady in Street/Information/Punk Girl – Julice Liecier
Reverend Peters/Uncle Terry/Voice Four/Station Policeman/Station Guard – Simon Higginson
Sooty – Django
A play by Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon
Director – Roger Beaumont
Assistant Director – Paula Robinson
Set Designers – Roger Beaumont, Leon Chambers
Costume Designer – Jenny Richardson
Lighting Designer – Martin Walton
Composer and Sound Designer – Emerson Bramwell
Associate Composer – Helen Cooper
Associate Sound Designer – Jane Arnold-Forster
Video Designer – Leon Chambers
Fight Choreographer – Adrian Fear
Creature Designer – Shaan Latif-Shaikh
THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
The Questors Theatre
20 to 28 March 2026
