The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

There’s something magic about the way immersive theatre can help you see the inner worlds of people who experience life in very different ways. Mockingbird’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time takes the audience inside the mind of a 15-year-old autistic boy Christopher, with intimate staging, wonderful projections and sound design, and absolutely top-notch performances, notably from Richard Manning as the father Ed, Claire White as the mother Judy, and especially Wajanoah Donohoe, whose portrayal of Christopher was a masterclass in realist precision (the role of Christopher will be played by Ethan Wiggin in other performances).

Assisted by autism consultants Jacob Alfonso and Jennyfer Lawrence Taylor, Wajanoah’s performance is delicate and accurate down to each gesture and expression, the incline of his head and cadence of his voice. Christopher, by definition, has difficulty empathising with others, but with such a lovely characterisation the audience cannot help but empathise with him.

Christopher is by no means the only character in the play who have difficulties navigating life thanks to their individual circumstances and psychologies. His father Ed (Richard Manning) has impulse control and anger issues, while his mother Judy (Claire White) is immature and depressed. In spite of these quite extreme flaws, both of these characters are played with sympathy. The audience sees how their dreadfully misguided decisions and horrific actions are a response to the stress of parenting an autistic child. They do genuinely try to put Christopher’s needs first, even as their actions suggest the opposite.

The production uses projections to complete the immersive experience, reproducing what it might be like to experience a protective mental shut down or the feeling of being in sensory overload.

This show was a true delight which should be enjoyed by audiences young and old. Be aware though that there is a lot of swearing, some violence, the description of the murder of a dog and strobing lights.

Cathy Bannister

Photographer: Chris Baldock