The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Showing until April 5 at Belco Arts. Tickets at https://www.belcoarts.com.au/curious/
Reviewed by Ali Khan
I was not familiar with the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, I was not only curious about the story, but curious about how the play would blend into the intimate surroundings of the Belco Arts Centre.
Walking from the red carpet into the Rehearsal Room theatrette on opening night (Thursday 20 March), a horseshoe of seating awaited theatre goers. It was truly an immersive experience, where the audience was not only at arm’s length to the actors, but some were also asked to hold props, or temporarily vacate their seats, and became part of the ensemble.
Throughout the evening, over-head lighting transformed the theatrette into numerous backdrops including the home, school and train station that were integral to the play’s protagonist Christopher, portrayed by Wajanoah Donohue.
The standout performer of the play was undoubtedly Donohue. He was central to the plot and as an actor, he drew the attention of the audience, and they never left his sight. His depiction of the neurodiverse Christopher was stunning and raw. For about two hours, you got to experience the beauty, chaos, and humanity of Christopher, the challenges he faced in his daily life, and the struggles and unconditional love of his father Ed juxtaposed by the shame and regret felt by his mother, Judy.
The ensemble performed seamlessly, supporting the storytelling and not taking away from it. They had the added responsibility of transforming into props in lieu of a large stage.
While during the first 5 minutes of the play, I certainly was not ready to hear about the gruesome death of Wellington, the dog of Christopher’s neighbour, Mrs Sheers. But Christopher’s tenacity, focus and perhaps obsession of discovering who had killed Wellington was a journey well worth staying for.
Kudos to the play’s Director, Chris Baldock, head of the Mockingbird Theatre Company which presented the play as part of their theatre-company-in-residence at the Belco Arts Centre.
