Reviewed by
James Karas
At the end of The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher lists his
accomplishments and asks if now he can do anything. The question is not
answered as the lights go off.
Christopher, brilliantly played
by Joshua Jenkins, is an autistic child and the protagonist in Mark Haddon’s
2004 novel which has been adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens and is now
playing at The Princess of Wales Theatre. Haddon tries to enter into the mind
of Christopher and tell us his story through his autistic eyes. We see the
extraordinary behaviour caused by autism, we witness the workings of a
brilliant mind in the domestic life of his parents and of the murder mystery
that Christopher is trying to solve and about which he has written. It is an
astonishing, moving, eye-opening glimpse into the fantasies, phantasmagoria,
achievements and suffering of Christopher, of his treatment by the outside
world and of the lives of his parents who must endure his irrational conduct.
Joshua Jenkins (Christopher) and company -
Curious Incident International Tour. Photo: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg
In the opening scene we discover
Christopher sitting beside a dog. It is Wellington, his neighbor Mrs. Shear’s
(Amanda Posener) dog and someone killed it by sticking a pitchfork in its side.
He is accused of killing the dog and arrested after attacking a policeman.
Against his father’s orders,
Christopher begins his detective work to find out who killed Wellington. He
does some calculations and in the end does make the shocking discovery of who
killed the poor creature.
But that is only a part of the
story. Christopher has a friend and mentor called Siobhan (Julie Hales) who
understands his behavior and shows him ways of dealing with his
idiosyncrasies. His father (David Michaels)
is patient but has limited insight into his son’s behavior. His mother (Emma
Beattie) could not endure it and she left her husband and her son and ran off
with another man. There is a dramatic story about her death and Christopher’s
discovery of the truth.
Intermingled with his irrational and
ultra-rational behaviour, Christopher shows signs of brilliance. He has a great
memory and a phenomenal aptitude for mathematics. He solves equations that
would stump most mortals.
Joshua Jenkins (Christopher) and company.
Photo: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg
The play, like the novel, is told
in the first person by Christopher and he dominates the production. Jenkins
gives a superb performance as a troubled youth, a type of performance that
should find itself in the top list of awards for acting. The play has a
considerable number of characters as the scene changes from Christopher’s
house, to the neighborhood, to his school, the train station and the trip to
London as well as life with his mother. Most of the actors play several parts
and there are some very quick scene changes. The individual and ensemble
performances are outstanding as is the work of director Marianne Elliott.
The set by designer Bunny
Christie, the lighting by Paule Constable and the video designs by Finn Ross
capture the inner world of Christopher and his relationship with reality as he
sees it.
Near the end of the play
Christopher is given a dog, a real dog, and he establishes an emotional link
with it. He then enumerates his achievements including going to London, solving
the mystery of who killed Wellington, getting an A in an advanced mathematics
test and writing the book on which this great night at the theatre is based.
__________
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the
Night-time by Simon Stephens based on the novel by Mark Haddon opened on
October 15 and will play until November 19, 2017 at the Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. West, Toronto , Ontario . www.mirvish.com
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