"Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime" Essay on Impressive and Spectacular Movements in a Professional Performance.

1 In the scene of the train station in Swindon, Christopher has just left his house to get away from his father after discovering that Ed had just killed Wellington. The main reason that he wants to get away is the fact that he also wants to reunite with his mother. As he has “behavioural problems” who has problems with physical contact as a result of Aspergers alongside having a sheltered upbringing. As he is bewildered by common everyday life it is seen in this scene of his reaction to a world that is scheduled and in perfect time. Even in the station which is a straightforward thing to most people it is visibly harder with Christopher who has never had experience from outside his street.

2 When he attempts to find the station, despite the fact that it is right in front of him he uses logic and somewhat of a mathematical interpretation of navigating it. He said that “you can find it by moving clockwise and taking every right turn” which is spoken in a way as if it was a matter of fact which could possibly be him quoting a technique that Siobhan (his favourite teacher) had taught him to navigate him. He does this on the stage following a projection that is visible on the floor. At the station, the ensemble cast immediately get up and move in perfect time to the electronic soundtrack playing which rises in beat according to Christopher’s tension level and thoughts. When Christopher attempts to ask some of the cast directions they simply move on in a synchronised movement; Christopher is seen to be out of time and out of sync with the cast. When he attempts to navigate himself through an increasingly unfamiliar landscape the volume and beat of the soundtrack slowly rises. Additionally, on the floor and wall signs associated with a train station are projected in various ways and styles such as “no smoking”, “air conditioned” and “dogs must be carried”. As it goes on, the music begins to intensify more and projections move at a much faster pace. It reaches a boiling point when Christopher begins to clash with the ensemble cast physically and he is literally flipped and thrown around the stage. Finally, he drops onto the ground curled up with his hands over his ears attempting to shut himself out from the world.

3 The effect of his technique of “moving in a spiral, walking clockwise and taking every right turn” in a robotic, mathematical tone of voice will raise some confusion around the audience. The very fact that he uses such a technique to simply navigate shows his approach to life being one of a giant equation or mathematical problem that needs solving. When the projection appears on stage, it could even be his very thoughts being projected onto the stage showing the way he views life. Additionally, his lack of pride and no self-congratulation also shows his logical approach to the audience, which gives the effect of him treating life as if it was a puzzle which links to the fact that we are constantly under his rules watching the play. In the station, the rising volume of the music reflects Christopher’s rising panic as he experiences his first taste of an unfamiliar world. The fact that he is out of step with most people has some humour to it seeing him helplessly attempt to navigate through the ensemble but also a demonstration of how he is out of touch with reality and the world around him.