The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night‑Time

Wollongong Workshop Theatre

Wollongong Workshop Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night‑Time is a stirring reminder of what community theatre can achieve when storytelling, creativity, and emotional intelligence converge. As an English teacher, I’m familiar with the original tale by Mark Haddon but up to this point had never seen a production of the Simon Stephens’ theatrical adaptation, so I approached this performance with equal measures of intrigue and caution. I hoped for a production that honoured the rhythms and emotional arcs of the narrative and this staging does so with charm, cleverness and an abundance of heart. 

The play follows fifteen‑year‑old Christopher Boone, who discovers his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, dead in the garden. Determined to uncover the culprit, Christopher assumes the role of detective and accidentally discovers more secrets than he had expected to find. As he pieces together clues, he uncovers painful truths about his family, confronts overwhelming sensory challenges, and ultimately embarks on a journey from Swindon to London that tests his courage and forcibly broadens his understanding of the world. The detective fiction genre is blended with coming-of-age tropes to create a narrative foundation for the author’s true purpose, an invitation for the audience to not just empathise with the challenges of neurodivergence but, in some small way, experience Christopher’s unique way of seeing and processing the world.

Photo credit: Belinda Balhatchet

At the heart of the production is Felix Wylla’s performance as Christopher Boone. His physicality is controlled yet expressive, allowing the audience to feel the tension between Christopher’s internal logic and the external world that often overwhelms him. Wylla’s command of the role is especially evident in the moments of heightened sensory overload, offering a portrayal that feels lived, thoughtful, and profoundly vulnerable.

Nick Bolton, a highly accomplished performer and producer, brings a grounded emotional weight to the character of Ed, Christopher’s father. Bolton’s performance is marked by perfect moments of intensity as he authentically portrays a man trying desperately to protect his son from a world that doesn’t understand him while also managing his own heartbreak. Through this, Nick Bolton beautifully balances strength and tenderness, and his scenes with Felix Wylla provide some of the production’s most heartwrenching moments.

Photo credit: Belinda Balhatchet

As Siobhan, Christopher’s teacher and mentor, Isobel Foye offers a performance of calm assurance. Foye’s narration is gentle and clear, guiding the audience through the play’s shifting timelines and perspectives without ever overshadowing the emotional core. Her portrayal of Siobhan is warm but not sentimental, supportive without being patronising.

Monica Mist delivers a moving portrayal of Judy, Christopher’s mother. Judy is a character struggling to reconcile maternal love and responsibility with her own limitations. Mist’s performance conveys this with great care, offering the audience points of empathy and relatability thereby ensuring a nuanced character rather than one that could potentially be reduced to a mere stereotype.

Photo credit: Belinda Balhatchet

The ensemble—Scott McCann, Hayley Craddock, Jonathon Frino, Kerry Dowling, Bryn Holloway and Allie Margin—deserves high praise for their versatility and precision. This play demands an ensemble that can shift seamlessly between characters, moods, and physical environments, and this group rises to the challenge perfectly with energy and cohesion.

Their movement work, shaped by Billee Harris’ choreography, is especially effective. The ensemble becomes the world around Christopher: bustling commuters, a myriad of adult authority figures and curious neighbours. In a small performance space, such transitions can easily become cluttered or confusing, but here they were executed with clarity and fluency to great effect. 

Director Jordon Mahar leads the production with a clear, confident vision. Mahar embraces the play’s technical and emotional challenges, using the Wollongong Workshop Theatre’s intimate space not as a limitation but as an opportunity. The proximity between actors and audience heightens the emotional stakes, drawing the audience in to share Christopher’s view of the world.

A highlight of directorial creative ingenuity was the use of chalk - it sounds like basic prop but it was such a powerful storytelling tool! Many productions of this play rely on technology and projection to demonstrate the complexity of Christopher’s mind and the meandering of his emotional journey, but Mahar’s vision required nothing more than blackboard paint covering the walls and floor, and simple pieces of white chalk. A brilliant concept that was executed by the cast in an undeniably powerful way.

Photo credit: Applause and Afterthoughts

So many elements of this production were cleverly crafted, appearing understated and simple but, in actuality, intentional creative choices of immaculate precision. I loved the little details - from Ed’s business branded polo shirt to the perfectly timed automated model train to the use of blacklight - just so clever! For this, the entire creative team is to be congratulated.

Equally as impressive was the sensitive manner in which the lived experience of neurodivergence was portrayed. As a mum and a high school teacher, I am very aware of the struggles many young people face in a neurotypical world, therefore I have very high standards when it comes to how these experiences are portrayed in fiction. For this production, I needn’t have feared. Wollongong Workshop Theatre’s production was beautifully sensitive and heartbreakingly accurate and I am not embarrassed to confess that I was in tears by the end of Act 2. The respectful intentionality of the company’s approach was notably reinforced by the inclusion of an Access Coordinator (Claire McCann) for the production as well as the promotion of Aspect - Autism Spectrum Australia, with audience members encouraged to donate to this organisation in support of its important work.

Wollongong Workshop Theatre’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night‑Time is thoughtful, inventive, and heart wrenchingly moving. With strong performances, a cohesive ensemble, and a creative team working in harmonious collaboration, the production honours the spirit of the novel while offering its own distinctive theatrical voice. It is storytelling at its most human, and a testament to what can be achieved by a community of talented and dedicated artists with a heart to share the beauty of humanity.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night‑Time is running at Wollongong Workshop Theatre in Gwynneville February 20 to March 7

https://www.wollongongworkshoptheatre.com.au/