THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
The Court Theatre, Bernard Street, Addington, Christchurch
18/03/2017 - 22/04/2017
Production Details
“It’s a bloody dog Christopher, a bloody dog.”
After taking Broadway and the West End by storm, the celebrated theatrical adaptation of Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is heading to The Court Theatre’s stage.
The story follows fifteen-year old Christopher Boone, who sees the world differently. He knows every prime number up to 7,507, he doesn’t tell lies and his favourite colours are not yellow and brown. When the neighbour’s dog is murdered, Christopher’s investigation leads him far from home and changes his life forever.
Director, Lara Macgregor, who is currently performing in Ropable at The Court Theatre, has assembled a stellar cast who are being put through their paces in the rehearsal room.
Taking on the lead role of Christopher is former Court Jester and Toi Whakaari graduate, Tim Earl. Behind Tim, every step of the way, is a dynamic ensemble made up of some of New Zealand’s most prolific actors – Mark Wright (Terry Teo), Claire Dougan (Rain), Serena Cotton (Shortland Street), Steven Ray (The Hobbit), Roy Snow (The Shannara Chronicles), Keagan Carr Fransch (Pete’s Dragon), Matt Hudson (The Producers), Kathleen Burns (Educating Rita; Ropable), and Margaret-Mary Hollins (Artistic Director of TAPAC).
The Court took extended time over casting the show, as a strong ensemble is vital in the playing of this fluid script which follows Christopher’s journey from Swindon to London and back again. Macgregor’s challenge in bringing this production to life is to guarantee the magic that is Christopher and the unique way in which he views the world are clearly played out on The Court’s stage.
“Mark Haddon is quoted as saying, ‘Christopher is a character whom if you met him in real life you’d never, ever get inside his head. Yet something magical happens when you write a novel about him.’ All I’ve aimed for in his production is to capture that magic,” says Macgregor.
Joining Macgregor in bringing this production to life is movement director Shane Anthony. Macgregor and Anthony trained together at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney ten years ago. They have a second language when working on the floor with the actors. Anthony’s lateral and fluid way of working with the body to create imagery merges seamlessly with Lara’s attention to psychological and emotional mining of characters.
“This production’s magic is due, in part, to the use of sophisticated collaborative moments to expose the simplicity and beauty of Christopher’s journey. Every component of this process feeds the next; AV, music, lighting, sound effects, movement and set are all working together to achieve our desired result.”
Each of the departments working behind the scenes on this production are combining their incredible talents to create a seamless immersive stage experience, which celebrates Christopher’s uniqueness in the most beautiful of ways.
Mark McEntyre (Constellations; Waiora) has created a grid formation as the base for his set, with as much attention to detail as Christopher’s world dictates. Andrew Todd (AV design), Giles Tanner (sound design) and Joe Hayes (lighting design) support Christopher’s world with projections, sound and lighting techniques, along with original music compositions by Henri Kerr that transport you directly inside Christopher’s head.
Tonkin & Taylor Main Stage at The Court Theatre
Sponsored by The Court Supporters
18 March – 22 April 2017
Bookings: phone 03 963 0870 or visit www.courttheatre.org.nz
Ticket Prices (Early bird prices available until 8 April):
Adult: $53-$58
Under 25: $34-$39
Child (under 18): $24-$29
Senior 65yrs+: $46-$51
Group 20+: $46-$51
Supporter: $44-$49
Show Times:
Opening Night: Saturday 18th March, 7.30pm
Post Show Forum: Monday 20th March, 6.30pm
Matinée: Saturday 8th April, 2.00pm
Monday & Thursday: 6.30pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 7.30pm
CAST:
Tim Earl: Christopher Boone
Claire Dougan: Siobhan
Mark Wright: Ed
Serena Cotton: Judy
Margaret-Mary Hollins: Mrs Alexander, Posh Woman, Voice Six
Keagan Carr Fransch: Mrs Shears & Ensemble
Roy Snow: Mr Shears & Ensemble
Matt Hudson: Policeman 1 & Ensemble
Kathleen Burns: Punk Girl & Ensemble
Steven Ray: Reverend Peters & Ensemble
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Lara Macgregor: Director
Mark McEntyre: Set Designer
Tina Hutchinson-Thomas: Costume Designer
Joe Hayes: Lighting Designer
Giles Tanner: Sound Designer
Andrew Todd: AV Designer
Henri Kerr: Composer
Christy Lassen: Properties Coordinator
Sean Hawkins: Lighting & Sound Operator
Sarah Douglas: Wardrobe Coordinator
Ioan Bramhall: Construction Manager
Ashlyn Smith: Stage Manager
Theatre ,
Thoroughly believable parallel realities
Review by Lindsay Clark 19th Mar 2017
A prolonged standing ovation confirms the total engagement established on opening night by this absorbing and thought provoking play – total engagement created by a rarely encountered degree of collaboration from all aspects of the theatre making. Not only is Lara Macgregor’s direction assured and illuminating, it is taken a step further by very effective movement direction from Shane Anthony and extraordinary support from the whole creative team, as well as a cast spelling out theatrical truth such as we long for.
At the centre of the novel and its adaptation for stage is fifteen year-old Christopher Boone, whose way of responding to the world around him shows that he would usually be thought of as made ‘different’ by his autism. We are, however, seeing a new truth in this play as we experience Christopher’s world from his perspective. The frustrations and misunderstandings of most of those around him are clear, but even more compelling is the desperate logic he lives by, which both compromises his daily life at home and special school and frees him from conventional ways of seeing the world.
At first his concern is to find who killed a neighbour’s dog with a garden fork and left it on the street. Before long, though, he faces the enormous and frightening challenge of getting to London alone to seek out his mother. Truths about his parents’ dealings, as well as the dog affair, are little-by-little revealed.
Helping him through the maze of sensations and demands are strategies taught him at the special school and it is through that involvement that he is able triumphantly to face his accelerated A level Mathematics paper.
Whether narrated from his own account, or presented as a play (again at the insightful suggestion of his teacher), the undeniable authenticity of Christopher’s perception, with its ironic, contrary complications, is riveting. It is also profoundly moving as the vulnerability of someone without the protection of social or dissembling skills is revealed.
His predicament is enhanced throughout by the interaction of lighting, sound, original music and brilliantly conceived AV effects, so that his mind, senses and emotions expand to fill the whole playing area. Huge credit is due to Joe Hayes, Giles Tanner, Henri Kerr an Andrew Todd respectively. Mark McEntyre’s set is a simple, fluid arrangement of panels and cubes manipulated by a deft ensemble who also become the furnishing itself when needed.
As Christopher, Tim Earl is outstanding, flawlessly conveying in his demanding role the often painful intensity of a young life inevitably isolated by the very intelligence and logic which define its being. Although he rejects both acting and metaphor as essentially untrue, Christopher registers the possibility of freedom implied by the vastness of the universe .His eventual triumph and realisation that he can find his own freedom through his own talent is powerfully stated as he realises the future it may lead to.
Peopling his world – played by Claire Dougan, Mark Wright, Serena Cotton, Margaret-Mary Hollins, Keagan Carr Fransch, Roy Snow, Matt Hudson, Kathleen Burns, and Steven Ray – are thoroughly believable folk, variously concerned, perplexed or frustrated by the whole business. Individually and together they reflect the precision and care which are the hallmarks of this highly successful production.
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