The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the latest production from Ottawa Little Theatre (OLT), opens with the entire cast on stage and the stark discovery of the remains of the neighbour, Mrs Sheers, beloved pet Wellington, lying on the ground, impaled by a large garden fork.
Those gathered are shocked to see the dead animal, but when the police say there is nothing that can be done, “It is just a dead dog”, they accept the fate of the canine and return to their daily lives.
Not Christopher. The teenage boy—who proudly announces he is 15 years, three months and three days old—has a strong sense of right and wrong, and the demise of Wellington doesn’t fit the logical structure of his life. Christopher never leaves his home except to attend his special education school, but he is determined to take on the case and uncover the truth.
Christopher lives with his loving, incredibly patient widowed father, Ed (Guy Newsham), who warns him to stay out of other people’s business. A prolific writer aided by his autistic photographic brain, Christopher can recall the most specific detail of any occurrence on any date. The teen defies his father as the confusion of not knowing causes great instability in his mind.
When the play opens, the lights come up to reveal a grid pattern projected on the sets. The graph paper-like lines are a metaphor for the stability young Christopher relies on to move forward in his world. When the pattern disappears, chaos ensues.
Christopher has rigid needs, and he can not understand the impulsive act that led to the death of Wellington. He can process logic, but disorder makes him feel unsafe and threatened. His teacher, Siobhan (Sarah Aaron), shows that there is a place in the world for people like Christopher. She teaches him coping mechanisms and encourages him to reach his full potential.
Anything that seems simple is often the result of a masterful creation. This is precisely the case with the sets designed by Gillean Denny Bernier. Superb. They are minimalistic yet are elevated by the successful use of projection. On stage, a collection of boxes of various sizes is ingeniously transformed into an array of objects—from turnstiles to a desk and even a subway platform. Their use is so effective that the audience is spared the effort of using their imagination to fill in the gaps.
Directed by Riley Stewart, with help from Associate Directors Marsha Penfold and Stephanie Haines, The Curious Incident is the pinnacle of theatrical performance. The directors draw out the finest from the actors and do a fantastic job conveying an abundance of content while skillfully utilizing the limited space.
The story, based on the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon, begins with the death of a dog, but it is about the life struggles and triumphs of a boy who does not fit into the fluid nature of the world around him. In their debut role with OLT, Simon-Rys Landry does a stellar job of portraying Christopher, and the performances from the supporting cast are all top-shelf.
Christopher’s developmental disability hinders him in his life but aids him in solving the mystery. In doing so, he finds out that people are flawed and confusing. He continues to struggle to relate to others, including his parents. Nevertheless, his success in the A-level math exam suggests there is hope and a future for individuals like Christopher, even if they lead solitary lives.
Despite the puzzling title, the audience quickly grasps its significance—it’s a beautiful tale of a neurodiverse individual carving out his place in the world.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Ottawa Little Theatre, which runs until September 7, 2024.
Header photo: Maria Vartanova
