The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Apollo Theatre

Curious Incident of the Dog poster

*I wrote this review yesterday and was shocked to hear this morning about the ceiling collapse at the theatre that occurred yesterday evening. I hope everyone injured recovers quickly and that the show resumes as soon as possible!*

This theatre trip was a birthday surprise! I didn't know what we were going to see until we walked into the Apollo. I hadn't read the book but I knew it was about a teenage boy with Asperger Syndrome, who tries to solve the mystery of who killed his neighbour's dog after discovering its speared corpse. 

The boy, Christopher Boone, is a mathematical genius who loves train sets and star-gazing, and dreams of being an astronaut on a spaceship in which he can live and work separately from other people. He is very literal, dislikes most forms of physical contact, and finds it difficult to fathom peoples' behaviour.

The production was fast-paced and energetic, alternating swiftly between humour and pathos. The supporting cast members were on stage nearly all the time, sitting on white boxes that represented a number of items throughout the play (e.g. microwaves, computers, suitcases), when they weren't in a scene. I think Christopher (Mike Noble) was in every scene, which made it a pretty intense role, especially given the length of the play (2.5 hours not including interval). There were several twists in the plot, none of which I had anticipated.

The set was an intriguing mathematical grid covering both the stage and the three walls. I loved the use of lighting in this play. The opening was dramatic; from pitch darkness, a spotlight suddenly illuminated Christopher examining Wellington, the dead dog, then the light went out again, and when it came sharply on again you saw Christopher in a different position, before the light was extinguished again, and then it came on for a third time. It happened later on in the play, too. No, I don't know the technical term for this effect. One of my favourite parts was the end of the first act, when the elaborate miniature railway that Christopher had been building during his sessions with Siobhan started working independently - the train began moving along the track and the lights in the toy houses came on. It was quite wonderful.

People on the autism spectrum are often portrayed as cold and unfeeling and difficult for 'ordinary' people to relate to. The character of Christopher was easy to relate to, and I enjoyed the concern that he showed for his pet rat, and the adorable new puppy. His different relationships with his parents were plausible. The characters of the parents were properly fleshed out; they weren't simply ciphers. I liked the character of Siobhan, Christopher's teacher, and his respect for her and her teaching. It is Siobhan's voice that Christopher hears in his head when he is panicking over what to do next.

I preferred the second act to the first. The scenes in which Christopher tries to navigate the London underground were my favourites. They were humourous and it was interesting to see the tube - something I use almost every day - through the eyes of someone with autism. I  find it pretty stressful myself, so I can sympathise with Christopher's panic.

This was the third play in a row that I have seen that used animal actors! I am including the Doll's House baby in this count. I definitely recommend this play.

Next: I'm seeing this at the weekend

The Cherry Orchard at Hampstead Parish Church

Set of interior of house in The Cherry Orchard

I'd been looking forward to seeing this for a while, and it didn't disappoint. It was performed at the beautiful Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead by The Hampstead Players, a renowned amateur dramatics group.

I have to admit, the play itself wasn't one of my favourites. There wasn't much in the way of a plot; it was almost entirely character-driven. The main plot consisted of a relatively impoverished upper class family vacillating over whether or not to sell their titular cherry orchard. Strong and varied emotions were expressed towards the end of the play at the outcome of this decision (or lack thereof). Despite my reservations about the play, it was performed extremely well in this instance and was genuinely absorbing and immersive in places.

It took me a while to get into it due to the complicated Russian names and having to concentrate hard to work out the relationships between the characters. I thought at first that Lopahkin was a footman rather than a rich merchant, but that was partly my fault for only having glanced through the programme.

It was the character of Gayev (Adam Baxter) that really drew me into the play. The brother of the female matriarchal protagonist Lyubov Andreyevna, Gayev was a sweet, eccentric, endearing character who was often gently mocked for talking too much. The affectionate way in which Gayev related to his nieces, Anya (Michaela Clement-Hayes) and Varya (Hoda Ali), and vice versa, was convincing and enjoyable to watch. As a feminist, I also appreciated the fact that, for once, it was a man who was criticised for talking too much. Regarding someone else who talked a lot - Trofimov, the student (Matt Williams) - I think I would have appreciated this character more if I'd had a greater understanding of the context of the play. But I'm afraid I'm woefully ignorant. About rural Russia circa 1900, anyway.

While the parts of the family and their friends were all performed very well, it was the servants' personalities and storylines that I found more intriguing. My favourite scene was the one in the open fields near the house, in which Charlotta, the governess, disturbs the tryst between Yasha (Nicolas Holzapfel) and Dunyasha (Sarah Day) to talk amusingly and poignantly about her own life. This was a very absorbing scene...I forgot about the chilly interior of the church and was transported to a pleasant outdoor place in summer. I imagine the lighting people were partially responsible for this; well done, lighting people. Charlotta (Emma Lyndon-Stanford), the eccentric governess, was one of my favourite characters. One felt that there was a lot more to learn about her character than what was shown. She was sometimes accompanied by an incredibly cute little dog, which certainly added to my enjoyment of the play. 

The interactions between Dunyasha and Yasha were interesting and entertaining. Much of the development of their relationship was conveyed non-verbally, to great effect. I enjoyed watching their non-verbal interactions - particularly in the party scene when Yasha initially dances with Dunyasha but later refuses to dance with her and spitefully looks on - although I found it quite painful near the end, when Dunyasha desperately tries to catch Yasha's interest while he ignores her, languidly sipping champagne. A convincing portrayal of unrequited love.

The music, performed by a clarinettist and guitarist belonging to a klezmer band, added favourably to the atmosphere of the play. The dancing was excellent!

The ending was jarring in its tragedy and abruptness.

And so ends this review.

Next: Qui sait?