Photos by Bryan Clifford<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Christopher on High<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What better way to enjoy Avon Playhouse\u2019s snazzy new seating than to come see their newest presentation, the Tony award-winning play \u201cThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time\u201d? This uniquely brilliant show offers a glimpse of the world through the eyes of a courageous 15-year-old math genius named Christopher, who just happens to be on the autism spectrum. He finds himself in the middle of a (canine) murder mystery that leads down a rabbit hole of secrets held by those around him, including his family.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Curious Incident\u2026\u201d, by noted British-Irish playwright Simon Stephens<\/strong>, premiered in August 2012 at the Royal National Theatre in London, winning seven Olivier Awards. It went on to Broadway in October 2014 and ran for two years, winning multiple awards, including the Tony award for best play.<\/p>\n Christopher lives with his father in the southwestern English town of Swindon. It\u2019s obvious the youngster has issues: He is an excellent student but can\u2019t look people in the eye, cannot relate to others on an emotional level. When someone touches him, he reacts violently, sometimes striking out, sometimes collapsing on the floor in a fetal position. Despite these challenges, he is interested in the world and the universe beyond, determined to learn all he can. Then, suddenly his life is changed forever when he discovers his neighbor\u2019s beloved dog has been killed, impaled by a very large garden fork. He is suspected of killing the dog but embarks on his own investigation to find out who did it, and clear his name.<\/p>\n Christopher + Dog<\/p><\/div>\n The story is presented in such an original and disarming way that you will be drawn in immediately, starting with the opening sequence featuring a backdrop of streaming projected images from the James Webb telescope, courtesy of projectionist Bryan Clifford<\/strong>. These images change dramatically during the course of the show and help tell the story, almost like another character. Christopher\u2019s teacher Siobhan, played by Caitlin O\u2019Brien <\/strong>with lyrical concern, serves as de facto narrator by reading from Christopher\u2019s own writings about the mysterious happenings. You can see that Christopher (a remarkable Robert Carrigan<\/strong>) refuses to allow his so-called disability to limit his progress or stifle his bold curiosity. His father Ed (Luigi Murri<\/strong> in a strong performance) is trying to protect his son from the world, and from the truth. Joy Oetjens<\/strong>, as the wayward mother Judy, effectively shows the anguish and conflict in her own hidden life that leads Christopher on a dangerous journey in search of answers.<\/p>\n Six precisely positioned actors, identified only as Voice 1, Voice 2, etc, bear witness to Christopher\u2019s strained interactions with his parents, teacher and neighbors. These Voice actors serve as inanimate objects (a microwave oven, a door, train station signs), and are also characters within the story, creating vignettes and pantomime in between various roles. Several black cubes, each about two feet square, serve as key set pieces that are moved around by the Voice actors into various configurations, depending on the scene.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Christopher-on-high.jpg\")
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Captivating and Inspiring Whodunnit<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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