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Book Cover for: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The Play, Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The Play

Mark Haddon

My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and the capital cities. And every prime number up to 7507.

Christopher, fifteen years old, stands beside Mrs Shears's dead dog. It has been speared with a garden fork, it is seven minutes after midnight, and Christopher is under suspicion. He records each fact in the book he is writing to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington. He has an extraordinary brain and is exceptional at maths, but he is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and he distrusts strangers. But Christopher's detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that turns his world upside-down.

Simon Stephens's adaptation of Mark Haddon's bestselling, award-winning novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time offers a richly theatrical exploration of this touching and bleakly humorous tale.

This edition contains some strong language and may not be suitable for all school curricula. Other editions are available.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Methuen Drama
  • Publish Date: Sep 24th, 2012
  • Pages: 112
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 7.70in - 5.00in - 0.40in - 0.25lb
  • EAN: 9781408173350
  • Categories: European - English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh

About the Author

Stephens, Simon: - Simon Stephens began his theatrical career in the literary department of the Royal Court Theatre, where he ran its Young Writers' Programme. His plays for theatre include Bluebird (Royal Court Theatre) Herons (Royal Court Theatre, 2001); Port (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, 2002); One Minute (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 2003 and Bush Theatre, London, 2004); Christmas (Bush Theatre, 2004); Country Music (Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, 2004); On the Shore of the Wide World (Royal Exchange Theatre and National Theatre, London, 2005); Motortown (Royal Court Theatre Downstairs, 2006); Pornography (Tricycle Theatre, London, 2009); Harper Regan (National Theatre, 2008); Sea Wall (Bush Theatre, 2009); Heaven (Traverse Theatre, 2009); Punk Rock (Lyric Hammersmith, London, 2009); The Trial of Ubu (Essen Schauspielhaus/Toneelgroep Amsterdam, 2010); A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky (co-written with David Eldridge and Robert Holman; Lyric Hammersmith, London, 2010); Wastwater (Royal Court Theatre Downstairs, 2011); Morning (Lyric Hammersmith, 2012); an adaptation of A Doll's House (Young Vic, 2012); an adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, 2012); Blindsided (Royal Exchange, 2014); and Birdland (Royal Court, 2014). His radio plays include Five Letters Home to Elizabeth (BBC Radio 4, 2001) and Digging (BBC Radio 4, 2003). Awards include the Pearson Award for Best New Play, 2001, for Port; Olivier Award for Best New Play for On the Shore of the Wide World, 2005; and for Motortown German critics in Theater Heute's annual poll voted him Best Foreign Playwright, 2007. His adaptation of Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play.
Haddon, Mark: - Mark Haddon's work as an author includes A Spot of Bother, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Real Porky Philips, Agent Z and Titch Johnson - Almost World Champion. His work for television includes Coming Down the Mountain, Fungus the Bogeyman and Microsoap. Polar Bears (2010) was Mark Haddon's first work for the theatre. He has previously received a Special Screenwriter's Award for Contribution to Children's Television from BAFTA.

Praise for this book

"Playwright Simon Stephens . . . not only frames the action, but also sets up a rich tension between fiction's invention and the obsession with facts, forensics and systemised data that is a symptom of Christopher's autism . . . this is a highly skilful adaptation" --Michael Billington, Guardian

"A curiously successful case of a hit novel turned into a play . . . This is a profoundly moving play about adolescence, fractured families, mathematics, colours and lights" --Michael Coveney, Independent

"This adaptation by the acclaimed playwright Simon Stephens is intensely, innately theatrical; it is also funny and extremely moving" --Laura Thompson, Daily Telegraph

"Seeing an adaptation of a book that you have loved can inspire a certain nervousness but fans of A Curious Incident should have no such worry when going to see the National's faithful and imaginative adaptation. It is a triumph, capturing the depth and touching nature of the original text and adding theatrical sensibilities to great effect. Highly recommended." --Londonist

"As adaptations of much-loved fiction go, Simon Stephens' perky and imaginative version . . . is an instant classic" --What's On Stage

"Simon Stephens' clever adaptation of Mark Haddon's bestselling novel about a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome is like a cute dog that leaps up and wants to lick you all over. There's no point in resisting - and there's no need ... The novel gets you inside Christopher's head, but the stage version does more, giving Christopher's internal response to the world an external manifestation." --Lyn Gardner, Guardian

"This is a really superior stage adaptation. Instead of just transposing the book. Stephens has recreated it for the stage. . . It doesn't shirk the discomfort of being a child with special needs, but -as Christopher learns to believe in himself- it also quietly illustrates some of the excitement of living in your own world." --Aleks Sierz, Tribune

"A bittersweet story told with verve and passion." --Siobhan Murphy, Metro