HENRY IV Selfie from Megan W.

Seeing this production in Stratford-Upon-Avon made the experience all the more special because it is where Shakespeare was born and died. It is also where he lived throughout the earlier years of his life. The historical significance behind the location of this performance made it an ideal place to see one of Shakespeare’s most famous works. The set presented in the live performance of Shakespeare’s, Henry IV Part 1, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre made the play a success.

Variations in the set allowed the audience to envision where different aspects of the play took place. The audience is able to get a better understanding about characters in the play by where they are placed within the set. For example, at the beginning of the play, Hal is shown coming out of a bed with two girls with Sir John Falstaff (Antony Sher) in the bedroom as well. The layout of the stage, as well as Hal’s action within it gave off the impression that he was a rebel. The set was an aid in the portrayal of Hal’s character during this part of the play. 

The costumes played a vital role in this production as well. The costumes contributed to the personalities of each character; This proves to be true at the beginning of the play when Prince Hal (Alex Hassell), the son of King Henry IV (Jasper Britton), is portrayed as a person not of royalty by wearing boxers without a shirt. During this scene in Act One he rebels by hanging around with Falstaff, who is a drunk. However, as the play goes on, his character changes, as well as his attire. He transforms himself into the noble and honorable person his his father always dreamed of. By the end of the play, Hal wears military clothing, wins the battle, and ultimately saves his father’s life. The clothing Hal wore made the changes he made to himself more evident.

Lighting is another important aspect of the play, especially during the war scenes. The flashing lights during this part of the production adds intensity that distinguishes it apart from the rest of the play. The war scene is a crucial part of the play because it is the when Hal demonstrates his change in character by saving his father’s life and killing Hotspur (Trever White). The lighting used during the war scenes helped viewers see the importance of the actions that took place during the time. The darkness of the stage during moments of the production also convey something to the audience. The stage is darker in the beginning of the play when Henry IV finds out that Mortimer (Robert Gilbert), one of his noblemen, was defeated and put into prison by the Welsh army. At this point of the play King Henry realizes that his kingdom is on the line. Soon after finding out the news about Mortimer, Hotspur makes him unhappy by telling him he refused to bring the prisoners to him. The anger or worry felt by King Henry during these scenes are amplified by the darkness presented in the set.

The fear of one’s self-image stood out to me throughout the play. Characters worry a lot about what others think of them. Hal wants to prove himself an honorable and noble person as his father wanted. He rebels at the beginning of the play to prove to others that he can straighten himself out and become the grand person his father always wanted. He completely transforms himself to impress others, especially his father. Falstaff wants others to think highly of him as well, even if that means lying in the process. This is revealed right after Hal kills Hotspur; when others come to recover his body, Falstaff re-stabs Hotpur and pulls his sword out just as they arrive. He pretends that he is the one who killed him so other would think highly of him. 

Watching this play opened my eyes to my own worries about my image. I realized how much I worry about what others think of me, just as it is to the characters in the play did. I want others to think highly of me in every situation, even if it means adjusting my personality to fit in. I do so without even noticing at times. I want to uphold the expectations of my parents and teachers, just as Hal wanted to uphold that of his father’s. I will go above and beyond at times to impress others. Similarly, Falstaff lied to make his image look better. This play has taught me that I worry to much about what others think of me. I should be myself and not live by the views of others. I know that ones image is important is some aspects, but it is not when it causes you to lie or not stay true to yourself. I should learn from others and be me in the process. Changing my personality to fit in and impress others is not the way one should live!

HENRY IV Selfie from Sam D.

William Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I brings to mind images of honor, glory, and rebellion. Although there are many issues presented in the play that are poignant, the one that stood out the most to me was the maturation of Prince Hal—or the lack thereof, if he was in fact “faking” his misbehavior. Despite the fact that he was only pretending at the start of the play, by the end, his character has seen much development in ways the prince probably was not expecting.

 

When Prince Hal (Alex Hassell) is first seen, he is, in short, extremely immature. His first scene involves him in bed with two women as the comic relief after an extremely serious opening scene. His next scene is not much better; he and his friends scheme to steal a thousand pounds, and then he and his friend plan to swipe it again from their own group for laughs. This definitely doesn’t seem to be the first time he’s done it, though. His fellow thieves seem to know him well, and mentions are made to previous “excursions” of the same kind. He even plans tricks on Sir John Falstaff (Antony Sher) as a joke. It seems as though such a boy isn’t fit to be king any time soon.

Surprisingly, however, he manages his role as prince quite well. During the mock royal court in the tavern, he replaces Falstaff as king because he thought Falstaff wasn’t a good enough actor. Prince Hal’s acting chops, though, are surprisingly good; he plays king just as well as his own father might. When he finally does meet with the king, he knows precisely what to say and

how to say it in order to get his father on his side, and he even stands up and offers to battle Hotspur. In the midst of the battle, he protects his father from Douglas’ attempt at his life, and he does in fact fight Hotspur (Trevor White) and win. In the very last scene, his father even entrusts him with ruling a part of his kingdom. The stage helps solidify this point; the smooth transitions, thrust stage, and vomitories make entrances and exits much more dramatic or subdued when necessary, especially during the battles at the end of the play. Because of this, the audience was able to see the passion and growth (or lack thereof) in each scene. As the show went on, I definitely felt as though whatever change Prince Hal went through was occurring directly in front of me. The actors even involved the audience in many of the scenes, making it as though we were also thieving and fighting the battles with them. At this point, it begins to seem as though Hal has made quite a turn-around, and much for the better.

But when he is out carousing with his friends, Prince Hal tells them that he’s just taking a cue from Machiavelli. He is only pretending to be rambunctious in order so that, when he does become king, he will look even better for having overcome his youth. He argues that his thievery and antics are, in fact, good for the country, because it means he will be that much better of a king. So was there really a “growing up” at all, or was it all an act? And why would anyone in their right mind think that stealing from nuns is “good for the country?”

If the whole thing wasn’t staged, Prince Hal did quite a bit of maturing in a short period of time. In one scene, he’s playing king with his comrades, and in the next, he’s offering to battle the rebellious Hotspur for his father. The possibility that it could all just be an act is a strong one, but it is also possible that this was merely an excuse to get away with everything he did. Perhaps he wanted to steal for the adrenaline rush, or to simply have something fun to do with his friends, and the excuse that it would make him a good king seemed to be the one that would get him in the favor of more people. And it certainly does; the bystanders in the pub seem impressed with his explanation for his actions.

Regardless of whether he had Machiavellian intentions, Prince Hal does eventually experience character development. After slaying Hotspur, his entire demeanor changes. He is no longer a boy playing at kingship and war—he has been thrust into the midst of it. The land he is given to rule requires that he actually does mature, and quickly. Actions speak louder than words, and although Hal has been talking about how he will become a great king, it is not proven until he goes into battle and is given land to rule, which are perhaps the most “kingly” demonstrations of strength, both physical and mental. His real “growing up” is not of his own choice, but of an event that requires growth and change in any individual who experiences it.

Although his rebellious stage may or may not have been an act, by the end of the play, Prince Hal has experienced development and a sense of adulthood that he definitely did not have at the beginning. The experience of killing a fellow man changes him entirely. That, not a decision to change on his own, is what causes his maturation.

CURIOUS INCIDENT Selfie from Samantha D.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has many features exclusive to British culture that may seem different to Americans or those of other nationalities. One aspect I found particularly interesting was the role and functionality of neighborhoods and those who live in them. Compared to the one I live in, the neighborhood of Christopher Boone (Graham Butler) represented in The Curious Incident seemed to be for the most part more close-knit and personal, and although there are some similarities between English neighborhoods and my own in regards to trust, there are also many differences.

The play brings into question the relationship between neighbors. Even though Mrs. Alexander doesn’t appear to know Christopher personally very well when she is first introduced in the play, she still invites him inside for tea and biscuits and consistently tries to help him. He protests that she is a stranger, and he is not allowed to talk to strangers. Her reply is that she is not a stranger, but a friend—even though they have just met. This is an exchange that continues for the rest of the play, and brings to mind a question: are neighbors friends or strangers? Mrs. Alexander appears to think it makes them friends, because she has seen Christopher walk to school every day and has a clear view of his bedroom window from her home. But Christopher does not seem to recognize her, and thus considers her a stranger in his mind. Americans seem to be torn on this issue, as well; some parents will tell their children not to talk to their neighbors unless it is an emergency, while other parents have no issue with their children exploring the neighborhood and talking to the people who live nearby. When I was growing up, there were certain people I could talk to, and the rest of the neighborhood was off-limits to me. Christopher does not seem to have this limitation. Additionally, this points back to an issue that I felt was an important part of the play: trust. Which neighbors are trustworthy, and which ones aren’t? My parents made that decision for me, but Christopher must determine this on his own.

The set itself begins to create the feel of community before any acting is done on behalf of the neighbors. The houses are displayed using LED lights and projections of the house numbers onto the open box used as the stage. The houses are close together physically, as well, which appears to be due not only to limited stage space, but also because that is how homes are situated in many English towns. This is quite different from my neighborhood; we tend to like to have a little bit of distance from our neighbors—so much so that most of us have built high fences and have quite a bit of extra space between our properties. Perhaps this is a part of the issue of trust; English neighbors might have more trust between them, so their “houses” (as representations of themselves) are closer together and have no walls.

This close proximity in physical space in English neighborhoods also leads to a closeness in emotional space. Many in the neighborhood already know about the death of Wellington, the dog, when Christopher does his “detective work” and asks his neighbors about the incident also seems to be common knowledge within the community that Christopher’s mother (Emily Joyce) and Mr. Shears (Daniel Casey) left because they had an affair. People whom Christopher has never even spoken to know his name and even a little bit about him, including Mrs. Alexander (Gay Soper) and No. 40 (Vivienne Ampcheampong). Christopher mentions having played with Wellington quite often, and no one seems to find this unusual. The set design also helps create this sense of community; the choice to use lights and house number projections in lieu of barriers and physical numbers make the houses seem much less separate and more like a common place for the neighbors. There is some of this togetherness to be found in American communities, but in my neighborhood, we tend to “mind our own business” and leave our neighbors to themselves.

There is also a sense of openness in Christopher’s community that, at least in my experience, is absent in America. Although some of Christopher’s neighbors appeared slightly standoffish, they cooperated and answered his questions for the most part. Walking up to neighbors’ houses and inquiring about a dog isn’t likely to receive a warm response in my neighborhood, not because my neighbors are rude, but because they value their privacy and like to remain unbothered. The stereotype of the English being more standoffish and less friendly than Americans is obviously broken here, as the opposite seems to be true.

There are some other similarities between American and English neighborhoods. “Outsiders” who don’t have much to do with the rest of the community are represented in the play, as well as the typical elderly lady, Mrs. Alexander. Both of these groups are also present in my community. There is also a sense of knowing everyone’s name; when Christopher goes to ask questions, he knows the name of every person in every house. This is also similar to my neighborhood because, although we may not speak to each other, we know everyone’s name.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time gives a good glimpse into the workings of a “typical” English neighborhood, which has some very large differences to American ones. In general, there appears to be a larger amount of trust and friendliness between neighbors in English communities, whereas American neighborhoods tend to be more isolated. The comparison between the two has helped me to change my views on how the English live and their relationships with those around them.

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.

CURIOUS INCIDENT Selfie from Elizabeth K.

Theatre is an art that opens people’s eyes in a new way.  Detailed sets vary from production to production, music and sounds draw the audience in, and characters allow us to enter new worlds.  In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, I was given the chance to enter the world of Christopher Boone (Graham Butler), the world of a teenager with Asperger syndrome.  During this play of healing, pain, joy, and heartbreak, I was enthralled by the ideas about family relationships that were shown through the characters and the set.

At the start of the play, it is clear that Christopher's family struggles with many difficulties.  His parents are trying to raise a son with a disability, and they eventually separate after having relationship problems.  Their lives are not easy; they have little energy left to give their son the care he really needs.  Watching scenes of the father’s violence and the mother’s despair made Christopher’s story all the more painful.  The mood of the audience in the beginning was left sinking.

As the play progresses, the family’s thinly worn relationships and short tempers improve.  His parents do not get back together, but they work as a team to support their son.  The father faces the reality of truth and finds ways to relate to Christopher; the mother gains the resolve to go back and become part of her son’s life.  In fact, both parents physically move closer to Christopher onstage as the play comes to a close.  This simple gesture shows that they are there to support him.  Even their calm, constant voices continue to comfort Christopher when he is out of their care. Their voices and physical movement in the play contributed to the overall sense of positive change in their family.  Our spirits lifted when we saw Christopher’s family beginning to heal, ending in a better place than where they started.  Watching this transformation served as a great reminder that although change may be difficult, it can be very rewarding.  

As the family relationships grow and change, much is portrayed about the idea of family.  When I observed the struggling between the two parents and then the unrest between Christopher and his parents, I was reminded that no family is perfect.  All have difficulties and troubles that take perseverance to surmount.  In this family’s case, one obstacle is Christopher’s Asperger syndrome.  Their small acts of patience and love help them overcome problems and heal relationships.  His parents do not get back together, but each kind deed strengthens their family: helping Christopher undress, using the apple timer to relate to him, encouraging Christopher when he is down, giving him a puppy, holding out a hand, and even just saying “I love you.”  Love and patience are this family’s healing medicines; love and patience heal brokenness. 

Another idea shown is that true family does not have to be through blood.  Christopher’s teacher, Siobhan (Sarah Woodward), always loves and cares for him, and she provides the constant support he desperately needs.  Not only is she his teacher, but she is also like another parent to him.  Siobhan is Christopher Boone’s rock.  In today’s world, this concept is so relevant, especially because many who are raised in unsteady homes seek support from others: teachers, church leaders, mentors, or friends.  Family can truly be anyone.  From my perspective, Christopher’s family included his parents and his teacher. 

Though I learned about family from the character relationships, I was actually able to learn more about Christopher from the set.  When I arrived at the theatre, I thought the set was plain, consisting of blank boxes across the walls and only a few small props on stage.  However, my assumption was completely wrong.  Watching the set was just as important as watching the characters during this play.  As soon as the play began, I realized that the set was computerized and designed to depict Christopher’s thought process.  For example, when Christopher is frustrated or angry, the set turns into disarray with numbers and letters flying quickly, chaotic voices blaring loudly, and bright lights flashing randomly.  When Christopher is calm, the set turns into a blank screen with few distractions.  When Christopher is excited and confident, the set turns into a beautiful show with colorful, patterned lights, cheerful music, and clear voices.  This set made the audience feel involved because we got to personally experience what Christopher was thinking and feeling, especially about his family interactions.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time presented a great variety of cultural ideas, but a large part of this play centered on the concept of family.  Though I did not see as many children in the theatre, the audience was comprised of many people aging from teenagers to adults who actively participated during the show.  The character interactions told the story, and the set added to our experience as we were given a glimpse into the main character’s thoughts.  Overall, the growth of Christopher Boone’s family throughout The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time truly touched the audience; our silence, laughter, and even tears were the proof.

CURIOUS INCIDENT Selfie from Maddie K.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time directed by Marianne Elliot is a play that is from the view of a boy, Christopher, who has the Asperger’s syndrome. The play gives great insight into the mind of a person with a different metal mindset than my own. Despite this difference, I saw some similarities between Christopher and myself. For example, we both get distressed easily. A cultural idea that I saw throughout the play was that of heath and body, especially the internal and external effects of a person with autism-like symptoms. Christopher's experience with the outside world usually ended with him having an episode. He gets stressed in unfamiliar places and around strangers. He does not like to be touched by anyone, not even by his own family. The act of hugging can be comforting to some people during a stressful time, but it is not for Christopher. Numbers, machines, small spaces, and a lone time helps Christopher to calm down and be able to thinking clearly again. Throughout the play, the story is suggesting that the health of the mind and body is connected; even if a problem is in your mind, it can physically effect your body. This can be seen when Christopher is mentally stressing out, then his body goes into shock and he ends up on the ground in a huddle. One can see that as Christopher's mind starts to race, his body reacts by shutting down. The production showed this by having scattered and fast moving lights, mixed with stressful noises. In addition to these visual aid, the production used Christopher's staging to show his stress: he would usually walk around in disorder until he stopped and tried to become as small as possible. The stress and emotion that he is experiencing is projected onto the audience because of the use of lighting, wild noise, and how the actor playing Christopher acted during these times.  

Showing the view of the mind and body of an autistic-like person gave a unique and extreme view of the internal and external struggles of the human body. The struggles of a person with Asperger’s seemed to be similar to me, as a person with no autism like symptoms, but Christopher's are amplified and last for longer periods of time. I can be stressed and have panic attacks, but unlike Christopher I can calm myself down while he needs the comfort of facts.

The theatre featured a proscenium arch, so that the whole audience had one view of the stage; it was slightly rounded so each audience member had a slightly different view, but the angles did not allow the audience to see each other. Even though I couldn't see the rest of the audience, unless I directly turned to look at someone, I could hear their reactions to the play. Because I couldn't see the audience I would forget that others were in the room, but hearing the audiences reactions would bring me back to the real world. The production did a great job of drawing the audience into the play and making us feel like we were really there with Christopher. I am glad that others were in the audience, because I would get wrapped up in the stress that Christopher was going through; the people surrounding me reminded me that I was never alone.

Aesthetically the stage was set up like a cube with it open at one side, so it was like we were in the cube. The cube itself was strategically mapped out with symmetrical squares. This set up seemed to be the inside of Christopher's mind: organized to him, but confusing to the observers. The scenic design allowed for the audience to experience Christopher's internal struggles, and the acting showed his physical reactions to issues. The costumes were common everyday clothes: the characters could have been in London or in America. The normal style of the clothing showed that Christopher's struggle with Asperger’s syndrome was a common everyday norm. The set and costumes are a modern day set up which shows that Asperger’s is a modern day issue. The entire stage presence from the props used to the blocking showed the internal and external experiences that Christopher had with autism.

I have had times where I feel like I have completely lost control of a situation and shut down, similar to Christopher but not to the extreme. The play showed me that even with different issues people can have similar experiences or feelings. Even though Christopher showed the great suffering of his autism, he also showed that he could do great things with it. This sent the message that your issues are only as large as you let them become in your life. Christopher struggled to calm down at certain times, but he still managed to get the highest grade possible on his A level math exam. He taught me to not let my weaknesses get the better of me, but that true strength is succeeding despite your trials.

CURIOUS INCIDENT Selfie from Rachel Z.

In comparing the book to the play before hand, I was a little nervous mostly because I was not sure how the director, Marianne Elliott, was going to approach such an interesting book. Both the book and the play address issues of family life and understanding Asperger Syndrome. The reason that I thought the play would be difficult to transfer from the novel to play form was because I was not sure about how the play would adapt visually. The play does this through the main character, Christopher Boone played by Graham Butler. The viewer is brought into Christopher’s world through dramatic lighting and creative choreography, which helps the viewer understand his thoughts and the way his mind works. I also enjoyed how the characters would refer alluded to the fact that they were in a play or to turn Christopher’s book into a play, such as how Christopher solved the math problem in the exam. Overall, I enjoyed the play and thought it was an interesting adaption from the book in terms of how the book was adaptive. I also thought the idea of struggle and understanding our place in the world was an important idea. Christopher’s struggle to understand the world around him reflects this.

The viewer was much drawn into Christopher’s world from the very beginning. The dramatic lighting at the beginning of the play over the death of Mrs. Shears’ dog sets the mood of the play. The play begins with a narration from Siobban, Christopher’s teacher, which comes from Christopher’s book about Wellington. The viewer from this narration is brought into the creative world of Christopher. The stage was set up in a grid formation in which Christopher used in order to draw out emotions or explain thoughts. Christopher’s world is very much visual and everything was explained through visuals and pictures.

Christopher’s desire to solve the mystery of Wellington forces him to face his own fears. Such as overcoming his fear of strangers or talking to Mrs. Alexander. When none of the neighbors are can provide information about Wellington’s mysterious death. Christopher turns to Mrs. Alexander for guidance in which she explains the affair that Christopher’s mother had with Mr. Shears. Christopher’s father holds out his hand in the first scene in the police station in order to establish trust with Christopher. Christopher also does not like to be touched and breaks down often.

The discovery of the letters also plays an important role because they establish key information. They provide information into Christopher’s family life and there is a flashback to earlier events told by Christopher’s mother. The letters also mention why Christopher’s mother had to go away and why she cannot cope with her son’s disability. The letters are also more personable, because Judy reads them. The viewers get to hear Judy’s voice, the inflection, and see the frustrations that Judy is going through. The mother throughout the play seems to be running away and using her affair as an escape from the problems facing her family. For example, she leaves her husband because she is tired of the arguments. She also leaves her son, because after the incident in the store she does not know how to cope with how to handle her son. It is clear throughout the play that she loves Christopher, but does not know to help him. Judy’s selfishness becomes important through the flashbacks.

Throughout the flashbacks she mentions wanting another life and wanting to escape from the reality. Judy’s escape from reality struggles with understanding her place in the world. Her move away from Christopher suggests that she is still finding her place in the world. In a memory, Christopher recounts how his mother wished to be somewhere else. During the last part of the play when Christopher comes to London to live with her, she struggles with understanding of how to care from her son that will not eat or talk to her. This struggle can be seen through the body language of the mother.  

Christopher’s arrival into London seems to add stress into Judy’s life, while Christopher’s relationship with his father becomes strained. The straining that is placed on Christopher and his father comes from an argument over Christopher’s detective work and the explanation that Christopher’s father out of anger from out about the affair killed Wellington. While living in the flat with his mother, Christopher’s father gets Christopher a puppy. The puppy’s role seemed very experimental and the actions taken by the actors were dependent on the puppy’s actions. I noticed that the puppy when placed on the ground sat down and was playing with the leash. The puppy’s arrival represents healing among the family. It also allows for the play to become full circle in terms of the play starting with a dead dog and ends with a live dog.

The grid like pattern of the stage played an important role, because there were no individual rooms. The actors had to use the space for multiple spaces such as a classroom or Christopher’s bedroom. The lighting on the grid played an important role, because it divided up the space into boundaries such as all the houses on Christopher’s street or the police station. The walls also closed in during the train station to show the danger that Christopher had to face when his rat decided to jump into rail tracks. The grid also showed Christopher’s steps as he made his way through the train station. The grid also showed hidden storage such as when Christopher was building the train set that alluded to his future journey on the train. The choreography was very dance like and showed a routine and order life that Christopher created for himself.  The set and the use of choreography brings the audience into Christopher world, thus allowing the audience to understand Christopher’s place in the world.