Totally something I recommend.
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" has got to be one of the best contemporary theatre shows out there right now. Living in an age of technology where everyone is way too acquainted with the pixels of an electronic screen, this theatre show is definitely one that will keep you entertained, emotional and educated throughout.
Derived from Mark Haddon's novel, the play takes us through the life of 15 year-old Christopher, who has autism. After discovering his neighbour's dog murdered, he is determined to solve the mystery of the killer and their motives, however he unravels other mysteries along the way. It's a story of family, hope, fulfilment and bravery, and I recommend it with my whole heart.
I saw it on May 13th at The Marlowe Theatre - the first time I went to see a show there actually, as well as the first time being in an artsy, Postmodern style, contemporary theatre. The show has been something I've been anticipating to watch for a very long time, so I was awfully chuffed when I saw there was a deal for students for a matinée show. It was everything I expected and more.
Filled with physical sequences, extravagant lighting and sound, and elaborately simple set design, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" outstandingly portrayed an insight into the mind of an autistic child, linking it to the systematic structure society has obtained through the wonders of the Internet and enhancement of technology.
I can't pick one scene that I loved the most because the performance was so consistent in its intentions. The set was designed as a large axis grid, where performers and props came out from hidden compartments. The lighting and projection was so vibrant it kept the audience engaged, then these features would be taken away suddenly but the abrupt change creates a dramatic atmosphere. These tech features and the physical sequences combined somewhat seemed chaotic, however this was effective in symbolising the complicated thoughts running through the mind of Christopher as he struggles to deal with the events that are unfolding.
One specific event that really struck me while watching was the whole purpose of the toy train set. Throughout the entire first act, Christopher would go back to building a train set and I remembered thinking, "Why is he doing this?" - little did I know it would create such a powerful ending to the first act.
Of course I have to acknowledge the playing with boundaries between performance and reality; there would be some moments where the actors would break away from character and deliberately show that they are only acting and this isn't real, yet at the same time, within the story itself, it was real, since Christopher wrote the events of his life biographically and decided to make it into a play, and in fact in reality it is a play... some sort of inception going on right there. This was insanely cleverly done because just when you were getting so involved with the emotion of the scene, an actor would break away from character and all of a sudden you remember you're merely watching a performance. It was this that created an aura of surrealism in the play.
I really cannot describe how great this experience was to me. I don't want to go into too much detail on everything since I really do want you to go and experience it for yourself. It was beautiful; the craft of the performance, the acting, the symbolism... it is visually and aurally engaging, and what's more effective than that in our technology indulged world? For me, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" spot on defined my idea of contemporary, "popular" theatre as it should be in present. We have the privilege of high-tech lighting, sound and projector equipment - why not make maximum use of it?
No doubt you will come out of it with more of an understanding of the disability, as well as a mesmerisation of how painfully beautiful the mind of a person with autism really is.
Thank you, Simon Stephens and crew. A tremendous show indeed!
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