Christopher John Francis Boone is 15 years, three months and two days old.
He has a developmental disorder on the autism spectrum and likes things to be just so: ordered, precise, quiet and literal.
So his world is thrown into turmoil when he discovered his neighbour's dog has been brutally murdered.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time follows Christopher as he embarks on a project to solve the crime, little knowing his quest to solve the mystery will reveal bigger, more upsetting ones along the way.
It's a compelling story of one boy's struggle to find peace and calm in a world full of chaos created by adults who don't always do right by him.
Auckland Theatre Company's production of the Simon Stephens play, based on Mark Haddon's acclaimed novel, is an immersive journey into Christopher's hypersensitive world.
Tim Earl is outstanding as Christopher, delivering alarming intensity when it's needed and effortlessly negotiating a complex range of emotions and personality quirks to create a character whose plight is easily felt.
He is supported by a cast of experienced actors (including Siobhan Marshall, Hera Dunleavy and Rima Te Wiata) who all give solid performances, though none with quite the same clarity of character.
The multisensory experience has been brilliantly conceived and executed in the round at Q Theatre, allowing the audience to feel his terror at the rush of a big city, and his comfort at the thought of drifting in outer space.
Siobhan Marshall, Peter Hayden and Tim Earl (Photo: Michael Smith Photography)
Thomas Press' soundscape, Jo Kilgour's lighting and Tim Gruchy's audiovisual design envelop us in the mind of a boy who often struggles to process what is going on around him.
Director Sara Brodie's experience with dance is evident in the way she has the actors move about John Verryt's set, which is divided into a neat grid just the way Christopher would like. A sudden rush of movement mimics his mind going into overdrive, with actors whirring around, rearranging boxes in the same precise manner as in his beloved game of Tetris.
It is a fantastically immersive and captivating production, which runs the gamut of human emotions to provide a richly rewarding experience.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Q Theatre Auckland until August 14.
Reviewed by Kim Choe / Newshub.
