The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Simon Stephens
My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and the capital cities. And every prime number up to 7507.
Christopher, fifteen years old, stands beside Mrs Shears's dead dog. It has been speared with a garden fork, it is seven minutes after midnight, and Christopher is under suspicion. He records each fact in the book he is writing to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington. He has an extraordinary brain and is exceptional at maths, but he is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and he distrusts strangers. But Christopher's detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that turns his world upside-down.
Simon Stephens's adaptation of Mark Haddon's bestselling, award-winning novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time offers a richly theatrical exploration of this touching and bleakly humorous tale.
This edition contains some strong language and may not be suitable for all school curricula. Other editions are available.
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About Simon Stephens
Reviews for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Michael Billington
Guardian
A curiously successful case of a hit novel turned into a play . . . This is a profoundly moving play about adolescence, fractured families, mathematics, colours and lights
Michael Coveney
Independent
This adaptation by the acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens is intensely, innately theatrical; it is also funny and extremely moving
Laura Thompson
Daily Telegraph
Seeing an adaptation of a book that you have loved can inspire a certain nervousness but fans of A Curious Incident should have no such worry when going to see the National’s faithful and imaginative adaptation. It is a triumph, capturing the depth and touching nature of the original text and adding theatrical sensibilities to great effect. Highly recommended.
Londonist
As adaptations of much-loved fiction go, Simon Stephens' perky and imaginative version . . . is an instant classic
What's On Stage
Simon Stephens' clever adaptation of Mark Haddon's bestselling novel about a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome is like a cute dog that leaps up and wants to lick you all over. There's no point in resisting – and there's no need ... The novel gets you inside Christopher's head, but the stage version does more, giving Christopher's internal response to the world an external manifestation.
Lyn Gardner
Guardian
This is a really superior stage adaptation. Instead of just transposing the book. Stephens has recreated it for the stage. . . It doesn't shirk the discomfort of being a child with special needs, but –as Christopher learns to believe in himself- it also quietly illustrates some of the excitement of living in your own world.
Aleks Sierz
Tribune
A bittersweet story told with verve and passion.
Siobhan Murphy
Metro