The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Written by: Mark Haddon and adapted by Simon Stephens
Audition date 15th December 2025 7:30 pm in the Function Room.
Production dates - 25th -28th March and 31st March to the 4th April 2026 – with a matinee performance on the 28th March.
Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Christopher is brilliant but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured beyond the end of his street, but now he is determined to uncover who killed his neighbour’s dog. His relentless detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that turns his world upside-down. Based on the best-selling novel, this life-affirming play has won multiple Tony and Olivier Awards including Best Play in London and New York.
The play is told from Christopher’s own unique perspective on the world and it’s this which makes the production so exciting, running through to all aspects of the production. The entire cast must remain on stage throughout most of the play, with scenes running into one another without interruption, regardless of alterations in space, time or chronology. This means the entire cast will become a very cohesive team on stage for a physically demanding but creatively rewarding production.
This production will work on developing a performance ensemble, rather than segregating principal and secondary characters. There are 22 incidental characters that populate the story, and the scenes progress rapidly through many locations so there will be many rapid character changes needed on stage.
All auditionees must be comfortable with movement (no dance experience required) and require a positive approach to collaborative devising and working physically to create a world Christopher is imagining or realising for the first time.
The play is set in Swindon and London. Some characters may require a Swindon accent.
CHARACTERS
(Ages given are playing ages rather than actual)
Christopher Boone (M): 15 (or can look this young). The central character to the play, Christopher knows an incredible amount about mathematics and space. Christopher also finds people confusing and struggles to understand feelings and emotions. During the play, Christopher not only has to solve the case of who killed Wellington, but also a mystery much closer to home. His difficulty understanding social cues, a fixation on certain topics & extraordinary computer-like ability with numbers, strongly suggest Christopher has a form of autism, although it is never diagnosed or mentioned in the script. He is ill-equipped socially, leading him to frequently misunderstand people and so he avoids social interaction. His determination to overcome these challenges to find the truth makes the role so powerful. Prepare to bring your audition to life physically.
Siobhan (F): Late 20s-early 30’s - Siobhan is Christopher’s teacher at school who he undoubtedly trusts. She knows him well and understands how to communicate with him effectively. Siobhan encourages Christopher to write a story that he would want to read, and in turn becomes almost the engaging narrator of the play, helping to tell Christopher’s story. Siobhan is a large part giving a wonderful opportunity to portray an inspiringly kind woman whilst being at the helm of the play’s narrative throughout.
Ed (M): Late 30s-Late 40s. Christopher’s father. At the beginning of the play, he cares for Christopher alone after the loss of his wife. He is patient and understands Christopher, however at times he becomes exasperated with him. Ed harbours a secret that risks potentially destroying his and Christopher’s relationship. Whilst patient, caring, hardworking and determined to see his son succeed, Ed can also be fiery tempered, his volatility shows a very human touch as his temper flares from him being wounded by stressful events which include caring for Christopher by himself. Flawed but not villainous is the key- a layered character for an auditionee to show emotion, tenderness and charisma.
Judy (F): Late 30s-Late 40s. Christopher’s mother. She found it a hard task raising him, often shouting as she did not know how best to support him. As the play progresses, we learn more about Judy. Initially we view her, and Judy's letters show that though she loves Christopher dearly, she was unable to cope with the harsh realities of Christopher's condition. Judy should not be played as a villain for her choices but with sympathy and diligence and some degree of guilt.
The Ensemble - six multi-talented actors playing a diverse range of key roles throughout the play and heavily involved in movement:
Mrs Alexander/Posh Woman/Voice Six (F): 60s-early 70s. Christopher’s kind, well intentioned neighbour who recognises Christopher is unable to follow social cues and tries different tactics to engage him. She mistakenly shares a shocking revelation to Christopher, but she is not a gossip; definitely not a one dimensional stereotypical “old lady” role and will be a strong part of the ensemble playing several characters and involved in the physicality and movement of the play.
Mrs Shears/Mrs Gascoyne/Voice One/Woman on Train/Woman on
Heath/Shopkeeper (F): 40s. A strong auditionee to become a solid part of the ensemble and to play a multitude of characters including the feisty neighbour Mrs Shears. Again, must be comfortable with movement and a positive approach to collaborative devising.
Mr Shears/Duty Sergeant/Voice Two/Mr Wise/Man Behind Counter/Drunk One (M): 40s As the play progresses, we discover more about Roger Shears and his relationship with Mrs Shears, and his involvement in Christophers life. At times a violent man who cares little for Christopher’s needs and feelings.
Policeman One/Mr Thompson/Voice Three/Drunk Two/Man with Socks/London
Policeman (M): 20s-30s
No. 4O/Voice Five/Lady in Street/Information/Punk Girl (F): 20s
Rev. Peters/Uncle Terry/Voice Four/Station Policeman/Station Guard (M): 30s-50s
You can find audition pieces, as well as the script, here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1raPl3lmHeIzBx6Fv_lkghUOit0p7Kfjq?usp=drive_link
Feel free to contact the director, Chris, at
Q2hyaXN0b3BoZXIgISBkYW5nZXJmaWVsZCB8IGdvb2dsZW1haWwgISBjb20= for more information.
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