Take a novel about an autistic teenager set on a path to solve a puzzling crime, adapt it into an acclaimed stage play, then cast it with remarkable young performers, and you have Adamson Theatre Company's powerful Senior School production of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’.
With its themes of neurodiversity, relationship breakdown and family secrets, ‘Curious Incident’ is layered with emotional complexity and intensity, so it’s impressive that our young cast were able to deliver such committed and convincing performances across their week-long season at the end of Term 1.
Cleverly lit with LED strip lights to create different spaces, the minimalist set provided a flexible backdrop for the unfolding story, from intimate scenes at home to the sensory overload of the train station – the flashing lights, noise and frenetic choreography conveying the visceral sense of turmoil felt by a character well and truly out of their comfort zone.
This St Kilda Road Senior School production was triple cast, which meant three student actors got the chance to play Christopher, the enigmatic protagonist.
Theo (Year 12) loved playing him. ‘Something really challenging was learning to be vulnerable on stage, which is hard to do with one other person, let alone a whole audience,’ he said.
‘Playing a more complex character was really satisfying,’ said Magnus (Year 11).
‘I gained some insight into what it might be like living with and caring for a child with autism.’
For Myrsine (Year 12), it was ‘a life-changing experience’. She had the added challenge of playing a boy, which she found difficult, ‘but the most challenging aspect of this role came from my wish to play the role with authenticity,’ she said.
‘Some audience members who came to see the show were autistic themselves, and were so grateful to see themselves represented onstage. They were also moved after discovering my personal connection to the character’s experiences, and I felt truly fulfilled.’
