Grand Theatre, Leeds – until 16th April 2022
Reviewed by Katie Goldsbrough
5*****
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time tells us of Christopher Boone who has a mind unlike anyone else, taking a maths A-Level at just 15 he is extremely intelligent, but struggles with day-to-day life and social situations. After his neighbours dog is mysteriously killed overnight Christopher comes under suspicion and takes it upon himself to solve the case. As he investigates Christopher uncovers secrets, resulting in him having to step outside of his comfort zone, we see his struggles as he tries to function alone in a world many take for granted.
This often humorous play, based on the book by Mark Haddon has won countless awards including a Tony award for best play. Embarking on it’s 10th anniversary tour it has been enthralling audiences for the last decade and it’s clear to see why. It gives a deeper understanding to what people go through when they don’t fit in and how it affects their families, with Christophers parents struggling with his behaviour and how to deal with it despite their clear love for their son.
The star of the show is David Breeds playing Christopher, he does a great job of letting the audience see what life can be like for people with these kind of difficulties. The rest of the characters including his mum, Judy (Kate Kordel) and dad Ed (Tom Peters) care about Christopher but often struggle with how to approach his difficult behaviour with Siobhan (Rebecca Root), his teacher seemingly the only one who really understands Christopher. Siobhan, often acts as narrator reading extracts of Christopher’s book he’s writing about his detective work and offering him her help and advice throughout, we see Christopher and his parents grow through the play resulting in Christopher believing he can do anything.
The staging is wonderful, with interactive projections on the floor and around the stage giving us an insight into the workings of Christopher mind and making us feel part of the story. It’s an extremely unique set up, with lots of strobe light, visual effects and holes in the wall which I’ve never seen in another play. This is an extremely heart warming story, you truly feel for Christopher and want him to be happy. Be sure to stick around after the curtain call to witness Christopher’s maths genius in action. This really is a wonderful play and must see for everyone.