The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at Birmingham Rep and on tour – review

This new production by Birmingham Rep and Melting Pot is an ambitious choice with big shoes to fill, in the wake of the National Theatre’s acclaimed version.

Yet under the stewardship of artistic director Joe Murphy, Birmingham Rep is growing in confidence and still flying high after the triumph of its recent Sweeney Todd.

Always keen to bring something fresh to the stage, this new version has a gender-swapping twist as the young neurodivergent protagonist from Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel is now a teenage girl.

It aims to bring a new “female autistic lens” to the story with more internalised reactions to difficult situations. While it largely uses the same stage adaptation by playwright Simon Stephens, used at the National, the script has been updated to incorporate gender differences and make it more realistic.

The tender coming-of-age story quickly lures you in as a highly intelligent neurodivergent 15-year-old starts investigating the violent death of a neighbour’s dog, only to discover secrets in her own family.

Actors Alex Keenan and Imi Price, alternating in the leading role of Chris Boone, are both neurodivergent. What we get is a very realistic, physical and visual play that successfully recreates how Chris sees the world.

Eleanor Bull’s pale pink minimalist set is stark, but there’s the occasional yellow ball bouncing around when Chris is over-stimulated, especially during a traumatic train journey to London.

Most of the time a video backdrop adds the detail. Thoughtfully created by Hayley Egan, the video backdrop projects the inner workings of Chris’ mind. Everything from outer space to close-ups of objects she has become fascinated with.

Playing her dysfunctional parents Ed and Judy Boone are household names from TV: Joe McFadden, the Holby City favourite and Strictly Come Dancing 2017 winner, and Charlie Brooks, a seasoned stage actor known for her memorable turn as EastEnders’ Janine Butcher.

Yet both their performances feel muted compared to the exceptional, young lead. I saw Keenan perform: she’s an extraordinary talent that makes this production gel and gives an authenticity to the role.

Ned Bennett directs with sensitivity and emphasises the wit of the novel, but the pace is slower than the National Theatre’s award-winning staging.

While this new approach is interesting and realistic, it doesn’t always make for action-packed drama and the play loses momentum after the interval. Some scenes even verge on tedious.

It was always going to be a tough ask to outdo the National Theatre’s high bar for this play but, that said, there’s a lot to like about this unique new version. It’s thought-provoking and breaks new ground, but most of all, it has a staggeringly strong performance by its young lead.

It’s also admirable that every performance is a chilled one to make it more accessible. Despite its pitfalls, this worthy new play does highlight just how authentic and meaningful theatre can be.