The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Nantwich Players made a welcome return to the stage with their production of Simon Stephen’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’, which was directed by Chris Ridge. The staging was simple, yet completely effective, with a grey colour scheme being used. Stage blocks were also used throughout to great effect, being used to create the police desk, laundry room, bed, and the tube platform. Nothing more was needed. The image created upon entering the auditorium helped create intrigue, with an outline of Wellington (reminiscent of the image used on their promotional work) on the floor with a pitchfork sticking out of it. This was very much an ensemble piece, with the cast onstage throughout watching the action and interacting with the characters. The pace throughout was good, with good interactions between the performers. The costumes were kept simple with everyone in neutral and dark colours, with added pops of colour, such as Christopher’s red coat. Other pieces of costume were added for different characters. This worked well.

Technical aspects were strong throughout the production. The soundscape used throughout helped establish location, and was just the right volume. The use of LED lighting bars was clever, helping to create different images, including the rocket and the waves of the sea. This was very imaginative and a pleasing way to create these stage pictures. Projections were used throughout and helped to convey different locations. These enhanced the production greatly.

Taking on the challenging role of Christopher Boone was Edward Rolfe. The success of this production relies on this central performance, and we were in safe hands with Edward who delivered an outstanding performance. He embodied the character completely. The stims were natural and never over-played. This was a very strong performance from this young performer.

Sophie Studzinska played Siobhan, Christopher’s mentor at school. Sophie showed a nurturing character, offering a caring and supportive figure for Christopher. This was a good supporting performance from Sophie.

James Freeman impressed as Ed, Christopher’s dad. James was able to show the complexities of the character, as a struggling single parent, and was convincing in the role. There was a complex relationship between Ed and Christopher, that James navigated well, giving a fully rounded character.

Trisha McCarthy played Judy, Christopher’s mum. There was a motherly approach to Trisha’s performance, and the love for Christopher was natural. This was a secure performance from Trisha.

The ensemble of six (Susan Dodd, Hilary Cummings, Chris Langston, Edward Shields, Avril Jones and Tony Webb) worked as a cohesive unit, as well as playing individual characters. Susan Dodd used her physicality to portray to elderly Mrs Alexander; Hilary Cummings added humour to the production as Mrs Gasgoyne; Chris Langston gave a convincing performance as Mr Shears; Edward Shields was expressive in all his roles; Avril Jones was solid in her roles; and Tony Webb had some great cameo roles, including Reverend Peters, who had a funny interaction with Christopher. All contributed positively to the storytelling and were engaged with what was happening on stage.

Bluebell was a complete natural as Sandy – not fazed at all by the bright lights!

Overall, this was a very good production. There was strong ensemble playing, strong technical elements, and a convincing leading performance.

A big thank you to everyone at Nantwich Players for their kind invite.

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