As NSTA Representatives, we had the enormous privilege of attending the Merchant Taylor’s School production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time on the evening of Friday 21 November 2025. Excellently directed by Mrs Clarke, this production was utterly compelling from start to finish.
As soon as we entered the school’s versatile drama studio, we were drawn into the story by the painful and chillingly realistic image of the murdered dog. This was an immensely powerful first impression which really captured the audience’s imagination at the start of the evening and set up the mystery at the heart of the story. The surrounding set was powerful and atmospheric, reminiscent of a clinic with multiple points of entry and an adaptable large screen to support effective contextualisation. The lighting was sharp and effective. We knew immediately that Director Mrs Clarke was all set to offer an excellent piece of storytelling, and so it proved.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, originally a memorable line from a Sherlock Holmes story, started life as a book by Mark Haddon before being converted into a multiple-award-winning play by Simon Stephens. The story told is that of Christopher Boone, a neurodivergent 15-year-old boy who is accused of murdering a neighbour’s dog. Accusation and arrest prompt Christopher to carry out his own investigation and his findings take him on a journey to London that changes his life forever.
The decision to share the role of Christopher between two performers allowed for a deeper and multi-layered exploration of contrasting elements of the central character.
George R’s Christopher was a mass of nervous energy, the effort of communicating and dealing with the challenges of everyday life funnelled into what must have been a physically exhausting performance. This provided a compelling insight into this character and was a thoughtful and invested portrayal. Leo’s Christopher was much less agitated in movement but equally compelling as he struggled to navigate the complex journeys, both physical and metaphysical, that were laid before him. There was a clear understanding of Christopher’s motivation and emotion. Between them, these actors brought Christopher fully and vividly to life.
In support of the central character, there was a very fine performance indeed from George T as the sympathetic teacher Siobhan, who was able in turn both to speak with and to speak for Christopher. George’s performance was vocally captivating, warm, and engaging throughout the evening, and there was real elegance in all aspects of the delivery.
David provided a vigorous and sustained characterisation of the increasingly desperate father Ed, working smoothly with the wider chorus in the movement pieces to show the pitiful state to which challenging parenthood can bring a father or mother. Sadie provided maternal sympathy as Judy, her warmth in the relationship with Christopher interestingly balanced against the increasing difficulty of her extra-marital relationship.
Elsewhere, there was plenty of comic relief provided by Chase (Mrs Alexander), Monty (Reverend Peters), and Emily as the repetitive Headmistress Mrs Gascoyne. Rien, Pranay, Charlie, and Prem were effective as a succession of down-to-earth policemen, each taking their opportunity sharply and quickly to define their character, while Harlene captured well the anger and frustration felt by a woman who loses first her husband and then her dog. Chaitya, Jai, Krish, Markus, Mahir, and Leo carried a series of smaller roles well but were at their very most effective when deploying physical movement to support the story, most powerfully of all when helping to portray the challenges of Christopher’s journey to London and his father’s attempts to stop him. Is there anything more welcome than a bit of Frantic Assembly in a play to add height and movement? It was sharply done and elegantly delivered.
The well-choreographed group scenes were simple but excellent, and conveyed the difficulties peculiar to this situation most vividly. A highlight was the mounting of the tube train, where a sequence of voices helped to establish the pattern that Christopher needed to break before he could board the tube train, achieving a clearly momentous victory as he did so.
This particular night-time incident was delivered with grace and style by Merchant Taylor’s School, and it was more satisfying than curious. Sensitively prepared, intelligently delivered, and compelling from start to finish.
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