The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

A Paws-itively Curious Night

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

by Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon

Questors Productions at the Juli Dench Playhouse, Ealing, until 28^th March

Review by Andrew Lawston

There is a dead dog centre stage at The Questors Theatre. A garden fork is poking out from it. The grisly tableau ought to be shocking, but it’s so instantly recognisable from the cover of Mark Haddon’s iconic novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time that it’s a strangely reassuring sight. It’s an early sign that we are in assured hands for this production of the Simon Stephens adaptation of the bestseller.

For those unfamiliar with the book or the National Theatre and later West End hit play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time opens with fifteen year old Christopher Boone in his neighbour’s garden in Swindon, making the unpleasant discovery that someone has killed Wellington the dog. As a keen Sherlock Holmes fan, Christopher decides to investigate the canine murder, and begins “detecting” by questioning his relatives and neighbours.

It’s quickly apparent that Christopher is neurodiverse. He dislikes physical contact, he can’t eat food that is yellow or brown, and he is incapable of lying. He is highly intelligent and likes maths, but finds people confusing. Christopher’s difficulties are illustrated well in his initial interactions with the policeman who finds him with the dead dog.

As Christopher’s investigations continue, against his father’s advice, he begins to learn more about the community around him, and about his own family, culminating in a bold trip to London.

It is very clear from the outset that the stops have been pulled out for this show. While the Playhouse stage is largely a bare grid of green squares, apart from the occasional dead dog prop and boxes that double as seats and storage for props. An impressive array of screens on the back wall display graphics, backdrops and animations as the play unfolds. The effects are handled neatly, complementing the action onstage rather than stealing the show.

The cast are uniformly impressive. Rory Hobson is on stage throughout the show as Christopher Boone, and gives a fantastically committed and sensitive performance. He shows Christopher “stimming”, both in an extreme fashion when overwhelmed, rocking himself, but also in more subtle ways, rubbing his head when he begins to become uncomfortable in conversations. Hobson’s timing is spot-on for Christopher’s deadpan lines which get great laughs from the audience, but Christopher is rightly never portrayed as a figure of fun.

Andrew Miller has the challenging role of Ed, Christopher’s father. Ed has to portray a caring but struggling father, as well as showing some rather more unpleasant sides to his character as the play develops, and Miller conveyed all those aspects well.

Claire Durrant’s Siobhan plays the key role of Christopher’s favourite teacher, supporting him in his effort to take his Maths A Level exam, and encouraging him to write up his canine murder investigation as a book. Siobhan effectively acts as a narrator for much of the play, and Durrant’s warm chemistry with Hobson makes their relationship the heart of the show in many respects.

Meanwhile, Holly Gillanders plays Judy, Christopher’s mum. Initially only appearing in flashbacks, Gillanders comes into her own in the second half as a loving mother who struggles to deal with a son who has very specific needs.

Alison Griffin, James Rushbrooke, Dan Wilson, Julice Liecier, and Simon Higginson all do sterling work as an ensemble of neighbours, teachers, police officers, and passers by, and the whole show sparkles with energy and moves at a slick pace thanks to Roger Beaumont’s direction. The cast seem to be constantly on the move, from the early scene in which Christopher questions all his neighbours, to later set pieces as he finds himself in the chaos of the Bakerloo Line, and one unexpectedly suspenseful sequence when Christopher’s rat Toby goes missing. While the video effects fill the back wall, Martin Walton’s lighting design also effortlessly directs the audience’s attention around the stage.

Everyone involved has come together to create an ambitious and highly-polished production of a great play and a beloved book, and the result is a spectacular two hours – and don’t be too quick to move after the curtain call!

Andrew Lawston, March 2026

Photography by Robert Vass