Review: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME - Birmingham Rep (17/09/26)
First non-replica production retains heart, but falls short creatively
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When it was first published back in 2003, Mark Haddon’s novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” was seen as a boundary pushing, stigma shedding work that brought neurodivergent people into the mainstream by not only having a neurodivergent person as the primary protagonist, but telling the story through their own first person perspective, making us feel like we are fully able to experience life as they do. And whilst it has become somewhat divisive as a representation of autism due to its heavily stereotypical portrayal, focussing heavily on the notion of the “autistic savant”, one cannot ignore the fact that it has had a lasting impact on people’s perception and acceptance of the neurodivergent community.
Chris Boone is 15 years old, however unlike most other kids the same age, her brain is wired ever so slightly differently, social cues are a minefield, physical contact is completely off the table from anyone, even her parents, and don’t even get her started on metaphors (sorry, lies). And whilst she struggles with what most people would consider second nature, this means her brain has much more focus on logic, patterns and problem solving, initially setting out to emulate her hero Sherlock Holmes by solving the mystery of the murdered dog, but ultimately taking the plunge and doing some things that scare her, culminating in her completing her A level maths after having travelled solo across London to find her mother, with the narrative morphing from a detective story into a Bildungsroman of sorts.
Originally reimagined for the stage by Simon Stephens, this is a masterclass in how to adapt a novel to visual media, as the script is carefully crafted to perfect the balance between narrational and representational action, with Chris' point of view always at the heart of the story. However, whilst until now it has focussed around a 15 year old boy called Christopher, Stephens has worked with director Ned Bennett to revise the text and reimagine the character as a young girl called Chris, and what this has done is open up a sea of possibilities in terms of how the character can be portrayed, at no point do we question the integrity of this revision.
For those familiar with the play’s original 2012 staging, the more stripped back, comparatively quirky visuals are likely to prove rather polarising, however this is a brand new interpretation, and fresh creative canvas, so the question is how well does it accentuate the storytelling, and give it life? My overall feeling was that director Bennett has assembled something of a mixed bag of creative elements which, though rather impressive in and of themselves, put them all together and they feel somewhat like they have been stitched into one like a patchwork quilt, and this leads to the direction feeling inconsistent, as well as being littered with missed opportunities.
There were plenty of fantastic set pieces, especially when it came to Hayley Egan's video design, which presented a wide array of different styles, but sadly these didn't always work cohesively. By far the most frustrating such incident was the introduction of probably my favourite piece of design from this iteration, in which the projections worked in tandem with Giles Thomas' sound design to create the TV static used to represent Chris’ disassociation and sensory overload during an argument between her parents, really making us feel like we were in her head. This was a masterstroke of direction and design, but also left me lamenting why this would only receive a single outing, or why similar pieces of design weren't also utilised to give the direction more of a feeling of definitive consistency.
All of this aside though, this is first and foremost a play about Chris' trials and tribulations, the narrative and emotional depth, and the good news here is that this is conveyed extremely well, quite rightly centred around the actor portraying Chris. Though not every acting performance was entirely convincing, there is no doubting that this was an absolutely sensational professional debut from Alex Keenan, in such an unrelenting part that calls for one to be on stage pretty much non-stop. She makes the highly demanding role of Chris look like a walk in the park, nailing everything from the delivery of Haddon's text to her mannerisms and micro-expressions, everything is clearly and precisely considered, in a performance of great zip and zeal.
Though the novel is narrated by Chris, Stephens rethinking the plot delivery to be narrated by teacher Siobhan through Chris' own written words, as opposed to by Chris herself, is an exceptionally clever means of presenting the story, as it tasks her closest confidante with expressing her innermost thoughts and feelings, which speaking aloud herself is an enormous challenge due to her inferred autism. Taking on narration duties, Bridgette Amofah brings immense amounts of heart and empathy to the role of Siobhan, and the way in which she works with Keenan provides us with a beautifully sincere partnership that builds well through the stages of Chris' journey.
The one other highlight from the cast is Charlie Brooks as Chris' mother Judy, initially presented as an apparition, but later coming fully into the fold through our main act one twist in the tale. Her portrayal is remarkably earnest and honest, as she is circumstantially taken through the wringer, depicting with wonderful candour both Judy's immense, unconditional love for Chris, and the conflict she experiences as a result of her family's dysfunctional nature. It is these performances, and how well these actors wear their hearts on their sleeves, that act as the driving force behind this new staging. In short, this is a creatively disjointed production that is saved by how well it communicates the play's energy, themes, emotional resonance, and overall message that what makes us different can be a boon(e) rather than a shortfall.
★★★☆☆ (3*)
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" runs at Birmingham Rep until the 19th of September, following which it will tour the UK (find out more)
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