The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Theatre Royal Nottingham Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Katy Nettleton
I was lucky enough to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time years ago, in its original form with Christopher, a boy, in the lead. It was a long time ago now, but I still remember thinking it was pure brilliance, some of the cleverest stagecraft I’d ever seen. So I’ll admit I went along to the Theatre Royal on Tuesday night wondering how a new version would compare.
If you don’t know the story, it’s based on Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel and adapted for the stage. Chris is fifteen, brilliant with numbers and maths, but finds people and the everyday world confusing and often overwhelming. When she finds her neighbour’s dog dead in the garden, she’s the one who gets the blame, so she sets out to work out who really did it. What starts as a murder mystery soon turns into something much closer to home as Chris uncovers secrets about her own family and embarks on a journey that tests just how brave she can be. It’s part detective story, part family drama, and it lets you see the world through Chris’s eyes.
This time, the lead is Chris Boone, played for the first time by a woman, and Alex Keenan was excellent. I loved the little mannerisms, the way she used language, and how she interacted (or didn’t) with the people around her. None of it felt put on. Making Chris a girl also adds something new, since neurodivergent girls often mask how they feel, and you can see that in some of the quieter moments. I was rooting for her from the start.
The set is simple, and I mean that as a real compliment. A handful of boxes become beds, chairs, stepping stones, and anything else the story needs, and the cast moves them so seamlessly that one scene melts into the next. I also loved how they used balls as props, which turned into all sorts of things and left plenty of room for your own imagination to fill in the rest. Eleanor Bull’s design is full of colour and texture, and I found I was completely drawn in without really noticing how. My favourite scene by a mile was the tube station. It was realistic and artistic at the same time, and for a few minutes I honestly felt like I was standing on that platform with Chris, taking in all the noise and the chaos.
Bridgette Amofah as Siobhan was outstanding. She narrates the story and steps in and out of it as a character, which gives the whole show a different feel from most plays I see. My son said it reminded him of school assembly plays where one person narrates, and he’s not wrong, but she does far more than that. She pulls everything together, and she’s the kind of teacher you’d want for your own child: kind, patient, and glad that children are different and don’t all need to be the same.
Joe McFadden was brilliant as Ed. He really captured Ed’s way of loving Chris, often by standing back and letting her be, and there was warmth (and plenty of frustration) in how he played it. Charlie Brooks made her presence known as Judy, and her fiery side came out more and more as the show went on. What I liked is that Judy isn’t painted as the villain. She’s a mum who couldn’t cope, and you feel for her even when she gets things wrong.
I have to mention Jerone Marsh Reid, who plays several characters and makes each one completely different. I kept forgetting it was the same actor.
The best part of my evening, though, was my fourteen-year-old son. He’d never read the book and only knew the little bit he’d read about the show, and this was the first play he’s seen that wasn’t a panto or a musical. He was mesmerised. He talked about it all the way home, and he was still going on about it at breakfast this morning. Charlie Brooks has said she hopes the show gets people talking, and it certainly did in our house.
Seeing it again all these years later reminded me why this story has stayed with so many people. It’s theatre at its best, and I’m so glad I got to share it with my son.
Please note, the production has an age guidance of 10+ and contains strong language, themes of death, family illness, and loss, depictions of emotional distress, flashing lights, and loud sound effects.
Rating: 4.5/5
Tickets cost from £22
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham from Tuesday 13 October to Saturday 17 October 2026. For more information or to book tickets, visit www.trch.co.uk or call the box office on 0115 989 5555.
Theatre Royal, Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND