Sedos always have a wide and varied programme of shows but this season in particular has had some exciting offerings. One production I had been particularly excited to see is The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time. Partly as I adored the show when I saw it in the West End but also partly due to their commitment to making this production genuinely neurodivergent informed, from seeking a neurodivergent performer to play Christopher through to the range of accessible performances and associated information they were offering.
For those unfamiliar with the show it focuses on Christopher and whilst it is never expressly acknowledged with a label he is a young boy with autism. We follow Christopher as he goes on, not only a journey to discover who killed his neighbour’s dog but one of self-discovery about himself, his family and predominately what he is capable of achieving.
What becomes immediately apparent is the care that has gone into this production on so many levels. As director Alice Bennett points out in the programme notes, a key slogan of the disability movement is ‘Nothing about us without us,’ and Sedos have really taken this to heart and it has shone through in their production of the show. Not only is the performer who plays Christopher, Elspeth Reid, who is AuDHD but Bennett herself is autistic. As a result the portrayal of Christopher and the show in general never once felt performative in any way. Elspeth Reid as Christopher was phenomenal, from her body language to her consistent reactions to the people around her. Reid created a character I was really rooting for to succeed and their portrayal of Christopher was clearly so much more nuanced than reducing a character to a diagnosis.
Alice Bennett along with her co-director and movement director Emma Bowker also created a movement chorus to give the audience an insight into Christopher’s brain. Their inclusion really added to the show and helped the audience understand Christopher more deeply rather than distract from the story and the six performers within the movement chorus really came across as a singular unit rather than individual performers. There was a variety of movement styles used – from dynamic lifts through to simpler static shapes created when observing the action, all of which proved to be effective.
Technical ambition is often one of the greatest challenges of amateur theatre, not through any lack of talent but because limited venue time compresses get in, technical rehearsals and dress rehearsals into just a few days. This makes the success in the projections design and execution even more impressive. The projections designed by Ellen Redgrave formed a fundamental part of the set and the literal backdrop for all of the action. Their design was integrated into every moment of the show, from the ever-present clock (which was built into the accessibility information available) through illustrations that gave a further insight into Christopher’s brain, even things as simple as what were straight lines warping into waves in moments of overwhelm for Christopher. This design was enhanced by a relatively simple set made up of boxes, labelled with prime numbers and a staircase leading up to a vertical platform across the back of the stage. This was used effectively, in particular in the train station sequence where the projections, set and performance came together for a visually stunning and dramatically tense scene.
Sedos have delivered far more than simply another strong production; they have created one that demonstrates what can be achieved when inclusivity is embedded into the creative journey from the beginning. Every artistic decision from the performances to the movement and technical design, feels rooted in a genuine understanding of the story they are telling. The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time is a production that is not only technically accomplished and emotionally engaging but one that sets a benchmark for how accessibility and authenticity can enrich everyone,
Sedos’ production of The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time is on until 18th July including a relaxed performance. To find out more and book tickets visit their website here.
If you like this review you might also like my reviews of previous Sedos’ productions including Company, Next To Normal and Dreamgirls.