Sometimes you see a play, or a film (or in this case a
theatremovie), and it just feels perfect.
I read The CuriousIncident of the Dog in the Night Time a few years ago because I was
tutoring a girl from Calrossy and she was studying it for the HSC. And I loved
it. It is a novel about an autistic kid
written from his perspective, a seriously limited first person narrative. It
explores some of the issues of relationships with autistic people, the
difficulties of parenting, of honesty, of emotional nuance… But it is a really
easy read.
When I found out the National Theatre (one of my favourite
theatre companies, based in London, right down the road from where I used to
live) was developing a production, I was sceptical. I mean, this is a really
internalised novel, we get everything from Christopher’s perspective. How in
the hell would they be able to translate that to bodies-in-space-and-time? Into
a physicalized, theatrical performance? It’s not just a matter of having people
say the lines, theatre is much more about immediacy, showing the audience the
story rather than just the words on the page.
Then I read reviews. People I know. People I follow on
twitter. The rest of the internet.
And it was universally loved.
Then by chance I saw that it was on at our little cinema, and
it was just a chance that I needed to get on.
This is a story perfect for the stage.
They have externalised the sensory overload that autistic
people can feel, and used some state of the art theatrical technics to really
bring it to life. Performed in the round, with a floor made of LED displays,
and crystal clear floor projections, it really immersed the audience into the
performance, and this even translated onto the film. The ensemble cast nailed
the transformative acting, and the dance/movement parts were so poignant and
beautiful. I love it when the actors play all of the furniture in some of the scenes.
And the guy playing Christopher? AMAZING!! He really captured the behaviour and
difference of an autistic kid, without making it about disability or pity.
I wish I’d brought you guys with me. I wish I could take all
of my classes, hell the whole damn school. If people say they don’t like
theatre, I dare them not to be drawn into this personal, universal world.
