Reader Reviews
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Cottesloe (National Theatre), West End)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | The last Mark Hadon adaptation I saw was the appalling Polar Bears at the Donmar so I was a bit cautious about this one, particularly as I seem to be the only person who hasn't read the book. The Cottesloe has long been sold out so an NT Live showing at our local cinema presented an ideal opportunity to sample the experience of how theatre transfers to the wide screen. In this case it is ideally suited: a range of cameras solves the problems of theatre-in-the-round and the Cottesloe is so small that the actors don't have to over-project their voives, gestures or expressions. Bunny Christie's brilliant design is very effective on screen with ceiling mounted cameras, especially the extraordinary sequence in a tube station. Luke Treadaway brilliantly inhabits Christopher and there is an impression of genuine insight into how someone like him sees the world. Paul Ritter and Nicola Walker are equally superb as his parents struggling to cope in their differing and ineffective ways. Unfortunately the satellite signal went down for over ten minutes in the first half which badly compromised understanding and enjoyment of the play. This was an effective merging of the two media but I still have my doubts how it would work for a much larger stage and auditorium. - David Baxter | 07 Sep 12 |
| Outstanding! Truly wonderful piece of theatre. Great adaptation, great cast, great set and the best answer to an A-Level maths question of ALL time. - Cassox | 02 Sep 12 |
| Brilliant Show & great staging...Luke Teardaway deserves every award going... - tim | 28 Aug 12 |
| Brillant the best since Frankenstein. LukeTreadaway must win best actor. Rest of cast amazing also. - davidm | 26 Aug 12 |
| Was curious (sorry) to see how they would bring the story out his head and into the arena. Using the teacher to tell his story worked brilliantly. Set is amazing, all performances are stellar. A must see. - Joolz | 22 Aug 12 |
| Another stunner from the National; brilliant staging and (for a change) good sight lines for everyone at the Cottesloe! - addicted to theatre | 20 Aug 12 |
| A brilliant production by Marianne Elliott who has the golden touch, which might have seemed an impossible task with such a great book. Fantastic use of the Cottesloe space with Bunny Christie's tremendous design and a stunning performance from Niamh Cusack as the teacher....but the evening belonged to Luke Treadaway who clearly deserves plaudits and awards. A must-see show....if you can get in. - Pat Wallace | 03 Aug 12 |
