CURIOUS INCIDENT Selfie from Jessie G.

When I arrived at the theatre on Friday evening to sit down and watch The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I was exhausted from a long day of exploring London and had absolutely no expectations for the play I was about to experience; I only hoped it would be entertaining enough to keep myself and my other classmates awake for the entirety of the show (I don’t normally fall asleep in the theatre, but it really had been a long day). As I sat there waiting for the show to begin I flipped through the program and started to gain some sort of idea of what the play might be about and my interest grew as I looked at the set in front of me which had very few actual set pieces but an elaborate grid-like design.

At the show’s end I sat in my seat in tears, delighted at the theatrical experience I had just had. I left the theatre thinking that The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time had been a beautiful play about a young boy with Asperger’s Syndrome who was able to overcome his less than perfect home-life and his disability in order to move on and do great things. Upon further thought and analysis however, I believe The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time also held a more universal message about growing up.

While watching the show I was amazed at the blocking and wondered how the set affected the actors movement. I know from (some) experience on stage that all the movement an actor makes on stage is deliberate and planned. However, I feel like the set for this show made the movements of these actors that much more specific. I wondered if the grid patterned on the floor of the stage made the actors that much more aware of every footstep and movement they made. I also wondered if this was stressful or helpful to the actors because they could essentially move to the exact same location every night on stage thanks to the help of the stage design. I quickly fell in love with the set, which I did not think I would enjoy when the play began; I usually prefer an elaborate set but this simplistic set left much to the imagination of the audience and for once I really enjoyed that aspect. I also loved how the set continued to surprise the audience. I was not expecting walls to move, certain boxes to open, or for stairs to appear that the actors could actually climb. I believe the audiences’ discovery of how the set could do anything mirrored Christopher’s discovery that he could also do anything.

At the show’s close Christopher (Graham Butler) looks for reassurance from his teacher Siobhan (Sarah Woodward) by asking, “That means I can do anything, right?” after a bit a of a pause he asks again but Siobhan does not reply, the lights fade, and the show’s over. When Christopher first asked the question and Siobhan does not reply I could not help but think to myself, “Answer him! Answer him!” I wanted Christopher to know that, yes, he can do anything and that the audience believed in him. However, after some reflection, I realized that by not having Siobhan answer Christopher, the play sent out a much more universal message about growing up. As children I believe we all constantly look for reassurance from our parents and other adult figures in our lives. We need their permission for so many things and are constantly looking for their approval and praise. However, I also believe there comes a point in everyone’s life where we stop needing the reassurance of those adult figures in our lives because we are able to provide it for ourselves. I no longer need my mother or my father to tell me I can do anything or be anything I want to be because now that I’m an adult I’ve learned this fact for myself (although it does not hurt to know that they believe in me as well). I’ve learned that I can do anything I want to do if I set my mind to it and work hard and in some ways I relate to Christopher’s character because I’ve also had to overcome a sort of disability. I believe that by not answering Christopher, Siobhan is giving him the opportunity to provide reassurance for himself. He is forced to grow up and realize that he simply needs to believe in himself and anything is possible. This is true for all young adults and I believe it was one of the many points the play aimed to make.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time truly was a heart-warming play that concealed many lessons about honestly, love, family, and of course growing up. Christopher discovered that he was capable of anything he set his mind to and inspired the audience to believe the same. When I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I had a very hard time believing that I could live a normal life and pursue the dreams that I have for myself; I was constantly told that I was different and that I was going to have to learn to live with that. In a way, this has been true, but it has not been the negative experience I believed it would be. I really enjoyed witnessing the growth of Christopher’s character because I was able to relate to his journey of self-discovery and I was inspired to continue believing in myself.