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Dublin Live
Dublin Live
National
Amy Donohoe

Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a raw family drama

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time returned to Dublin this week and it proved that no family is perfect.

The National Theatre‘s Olivier and Tony Award winning production got a standing ovation from the Irish audience on its opening night.

Mark Haddon‘s best-selling novel came to the Bord Gais and the smash-hit brought the thrilling life of Christopher Boone on stage.

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Director Marianne Elliott wrote the chilling and mysterious play about 15-year-old Christopher who has an extraordinary brain.

Even though he is exceptional at maths, everyday life presents some barriers.

The action starts with the shocking discovery that the neighbour's dog was stabbed with a pitch fork, instantly grabbing the attention of the audience.

Christopher falls under suspicion for killing Wellington, and it takes him on a journey that upturns his world as he searches for the person who killed him.

The show gives audiences a glimpse into life with Asperger’s syndrome.

We hear what Christopher hears, we see what he sees and we understand why he is overwhelmed through the highly technical production on stage.

The set design conveys a childlike simplicity with a space age hi-tech matrix. It’s a life affirming spectacle and a testament to the power of theatre.

Christopher has the innocence of childhood but is physically and mentally going through the torture of a young adolescent.

The young lad sets off to London alone to solve the problems in his family which makes it his biggest adventure ever.

We see him battle the mayhem in London's Underground and it makes you feel like it's your first time in the huge city as you travel with Christopher.

But he isn’t alone, his teacher and inner voice, Siobhan brings him calm.

She manages to focus on the magic of a good teacher-pupil relationship throughout the play and helps him with his academic goal that means the world to him.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Brinkhoff-Moegenburg)

The adventure story also has a huge magnifying glass on family drama, it proves that life behind closed doors isn’t perfect with the relationship of Christopher's parents falling apart.

It shows that there are complications in family life, but despite all of them, their love for their son puts what’s really important into perspective.

It might not be the usual all-singing and dancing play we’re used to - but it’s raw and dramatic - keeping us on the edge of our seats.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster and prices range from €15 to €58.

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