The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

"More than any mainstream theater production I know, it forces you to adopt, wholesale, the point of view of someone with whom you may initially feel you have little in common. That’s Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old mathematical genius for whom walking down the street or holding a conversation is a herculean challenge." Full Review

"The most deliriously inventive new show on Broadway. One second, a clever bit of stage business leaves you exhilarated. The next, you’re tearing up. Indeed, what makes the production truly memorable is how well it balances formal brilliance and emotion. This is the whole package, a rare case of family entertainment that speaks to the heart and brain." Full Review

"Despite the Sherlock-derived title and gruesome crime scene it opens with, The Curious Incident solves the case relatively quickly. By the end of the first act we know whodunit and we’ve gotten another revelation, this one having to do with the hero’s mother. But there’s a broader mystery raised by this dazzling and pulse-pounding drama: “How on earth did they do that?” Full Review

"If there’s any justice, the superb stage adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will be as big a hit on Broadway this year as the original novel, by Mark Haddon, was when it was published in 2003." Full Review

"There are plays that entertain, plays that illuminate, and plays that bring us to an exalted new place. The Curious Incident does all three. This is exhilarating, dynamic theatre which triumphantly expands the boundaries of theatricality...Simply put, Curious Incident is one of the most memorable evenings you're likely to have on Broadway for quite some time." Full Review

"Like the unusual character at its center, 'The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time,' a stage adaptation of a beloved book, overcomes a couple of daunting challenges to become…extraordinary...Marianne Elliott, the British director who last brought to Broadway the spectacular National Theatre production of 'War Horse,' works her magic again. The stagecraft of 'Curious Incident' is breathtaking." Full Review

"Just the sheer busy-ness of the production at times crowds the drama's human dimension, and some of its humorous flourishes veer from cleverness into smarty-pants cuteness. But those are minor reservations about a singular theater piece that commands enormous admiration for the thought that has gone into its every word, gesture and technical effect." Full Review

"To crack the case of a murdered mutt, a boy goes on a remarkable journey in the eloquently theatrical and deeply touching adaptation of Mark Haddon’s 2003 novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”...Despite minor dramatic fleas, “Dog in the Night-Time” glows." Full Review

"A rippingly human story performed with wit, elegance and faith in the audience’s intelligence...brilliant." Full Review

"A swirling, beautifully kaleidoscopic series of scenes, contrast with the background of a giant, black-and-white grid representing the complete order that Christopher needs. When Elliott's kinetic vision and Bunny Christie's dazzling technological design combine, the grid explodes with fantastical projections including constellations, outer space, complicated city maps and terrifying escalators." Full Review

"Fans of Mark Haddon’s novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”will cherish the National Theatre production that has finally found its way to Broadway—but they may be in for a surprise, too. On stage,they’re getting a bolder, braver and happier Christopher Boone than the one evoked by the 2003 best-seller." Full Review

"While the piece supplies its share of touching moments — and even some outrageously sentimental ones — the world it conjures is never overrun with kindly types, eager to come to the aid of a struggling young soul. That the production remains true to this rather unsparing vision is as much to its credit as is all that technical wizardry." Full Review

"Under Marianne Elliott's beautifully sensitive direction, this is far more than a high-tech adventure story with a quirky hero. While Christopher fancies himself a detective, the real discoveries are made by those observing him, including the audience — we are all socially and emotionally challenged to some extent, and communication and love in such a world require courage and acceptance." Full Review

"This is a superb production of merely a good play — if you take away the staging elements, the play itself is very bare bones...This theater-going experience comes alive with Elliot’s visionary leadership, and it’s even more impressive when you consider that she first staged this show many years ago in the round, so this Broadway staging is entirely revised for a proscenium space...It’s nothing short of brilliant." Full Review

"This explosive story demonstrates that great original theater— the type that overwhelms the senses and restores one’s faith in quality, live entertainment that actually says something— is definitely possible…It is the ingenious depiction of these very human emotions that makes 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' so heartbreakingly real, touching and exhilarating, and unlike any drama Broadway has seen (or will likely see) in many years." Full Review

"Director Marianne Elliott, who last time on Broadway won the Tony Award for 'War Horse,' demonstrates, once again, she is quite adept at taking difficult material, incorporating the strengths of the creative team, and turning out a narrative which is inventive, creative, and understandable by audiences everywhere." Full Review

"The choreography is brilliant. The stage is basically empty except for props and actors and the story is conveyed brilliantly throughout. It's magical, the writing is magical and the implementation is magical." Full Review