Birmingham Hippodrome – until Saturday 2 April 2022
Reviewed by Louise Ford
4****
Being brave in a confusing world…
The Curious Incident is based on the best selling novel by Mark Haddon, which was first published in 2003. This current production is adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliot. The original National Theatre production was back in 2012 and has won a whole host of awards over the years. The adaptation stays very true and close to the original novel.
The production opens with the eponymous dog centre stage and a distraught Christopher Boone (David Bremen’s) being confronted by his angry neighbour who calls the police. The story is narrated by Siobhan (Rebecca Root), Christopher’s teacher and champion. She is there throughout the whole story guiding, prompting and steering Christopher through the difficult journey to investigate the incident.
The set (designed by Bunny Christie) which at first glance is very minimal, just a few cubes, is cleverly lit and manipulated with light, (Paule Constable) sound ( Ian Dickinson) and video (Finn Ross) to convey a wide range of scenes. From suburban Swindon to the crowded underground. The shock of the sounds combined with flashing lights make for a total sensory overload at times. This cleverly conveys the confusion and distress that surrounds Christopher.
At the heart of the story is a young adolescent who is struggling with the breakdown of his family. He has some “behavioural difficulties “ that his parents try to understand and deal with. This coupled with his inability to interpret emotions, feelings and situations makes for a complicated and difficult life for both Christopher and his parents. Christopher’s observational and mathematical abilities help him to believe that he “can do anything in the world”. The first step is taking his A level mathematics at only 15. He is of course determined to get an A*.
Whilst the cast consists of just four major characters as well as Christopher and his teacher, there is Ed, Christopher’s father (Tom Peters ) and Judy, Christopher’s mum (Kate Kordel) the rest of the parts are played by just six actors. And not forgetting the two rodents who play Toby on alternate nights!
The production feels fresh and exciting although the first half feels more energetic than the second. It was great to see an audience really get behind the story and be so enthusiastic. As the book is now a set text for GCSE English the audience was made up of a large percentage of school pupils who really enjoyed the play, which also gave the performance an additional youthful vibe.