The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Mark Hadden's Booker prize-winning novel was a great innovative book. The story of an autistic teenager who finds his neighbour's dog has been killed and sets out to find the killer. But he finds out much more besides  The book is seen through his eyes, and while the innocent narrator isn't exactly a new literary approach (compare say To Kill a Mockingbird), but it is a very good one, allowing the reader to pick up things which the narrator can express, but cannot comprehend. But using a handicapped youngster to tease out adult relationships was I think a bit of a first.

To turn it into a play is a real tour de force though. And this play was just spectacularly good. I started thinking; great story, but really for paper not  the stage. But I was wrong. The style of it was a bit like student drama in its simplicity, but the best student drama ever. And then some bits were far from simple. The depiction of London Underground with little more than lights was just brilliant. The play is in turn funny and affecting, and the part where the jumps down onto the underground rails in search of his pet rat is incredibly gripping.



But everything about this was brilliant - Luke Treadaway included as the lead. Now for a 28 year old to play an autistic 15 year old was a big ask, and while I can't say I felt that there was a 15 year old on stage,  the age difference didn't adversely affect one's enjoyment  It was just a cracking performance, the constant fidgeting, and a very physical performance - he does walk along the walls at one point. You just have to see it. You won't be disappointed  I guarantee it (well almost guarantee it).