Curiouser and curiouser

One of the most applauded and awarded plays of recent years owes its existence to a cup of coffee. More importantly, a “terrible” cup of coffee that playwright Simon Stephens had in the National Theatre Studio. His observations on the quality of the coffee led to a conversation with novelist Mark Haddon, who was on attachment at the London venue. That, in turn, led to former York University student Stephens adapting Haddon’s bestselling book The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time.

Both book and play have won a shelf-full of prizes. Haddon’s 2003 novel has collected more than 17 literary awards, including Whitbread Book of the Year, and been translated into 44 languages. The play collected seven Olivier awards, is still running in London’s West End and has been produced on Broadway. The production is now going on a 31-city tour taking in York, Newcastle and Sunderland.

Haddon and Stephens struck up a friendship through that coffee talk. “We are both a similar age, both fathers and have the same observations on life,” says Stephens. Eventually Haddon asked him to adapt Curious Incident, regarded by many as a remarkable but unstageable book for the theatre.

The story follows 15-year-old Christopher who’s exceptional at maths but ill-equipped to deal with everyday life. Suspected of killing a neighbour’s dog, he sets off on a journey that turns his world upside down. The mix of storytelling, physical theatre and technologically-inventive staging makes the play like anything you’ve seen before.

Stephens didn’t write the play as a commission. He had no aspiration that it would go to the West End or Broadway or tour the country, he says. “It was just done out of the spirit of friendship and exercise. Mark told me he had been approached hundreds of times for the stage rights and had always turned every project down. He asked if I would have a crack at it. I just wanted to see if I could adapt the novel for the stage for him”.

The result was “two months of having fun with Christopher and his world” as he worked on the adaptation. Stephens had read the book in 2004 and “fell in love with it and fell in love with him”. For him, the play isn’t about autism – that word is never spoken - but a play about family, raising children and a boy who sees the world in the most remarkable way. He’s a boy not defined by his illness but his personality.

“When I was writing I didn’t think about the National, I just thought about telling the story of Christopher and his family and teacher as truthfully as I could, he says. “I have made a play about teaching as well. I am from a family of teachers. My seven-year-old daughter tells me she wants to be one. Anyone who has been to school had one teacher they preferred to others and who understands them in a way no one else understands them,” he says.

People asked if he realised it was the nation’s favourite book and he agrees there was a great risk because it’s a book people fell in love with and felt passionate about. Stephens is speaking in the NT’s rehearsal room three – the very space where the production began just over two years ago. Now the space is occupied by a new cast who’ll tour in the play over the next year. Associate director Katy Rudd and movement director Scott Graham, of Frantic Assembly, are taking the rehearsals.

Each new version – London, Broadway, touring – brings in new teams and creates the opportunity to do new things, says Rudd who’s been involved with the play (originally directed by Marianne Elliott, who co-directed War Horse) from the start. In week two of rehearsals, the actors are still learning about the world of the play through improvisation and research. They’ve have been into schools to talk to people dealing with autism, while Graham prepares their bodies for the physical demands.

Rehearsals are like boot camp. Morning warm-ups begin with yoga-like exercises, then progress through circuit training, skipping, step-ups, press-ups (four different sorts) and boxing for two hours. “The choreography is very demanding and so is the intensity of the show,” explains Graham.

“The ensemble make Christopher fly through the air in space. That takes strength and teamwork. A lot of blood, sweat and tears although not so much the blood because the aim is to build a team. The actors need to be in a fit state to tour. We don’t necessarily cast people from a dance or movement background so this is very new for many of the performers. That’s very exciting for me to work with actors that way. You can see their minds opening up to new things and each day are more confident and able. It’s a dynamic piece of theatre.”

Rudd adds, “Physicality is very important because Christopher can’t label his emotions or talk about his feelings so we need to see that in a different way. You have to be brave to do this show. You’re literally putting your life in someone else’s hands. They need to have an openness and willingness to try. That’s more important than any physical ability really.”

The touring version will differ slightly to previous productions. “We’re taking all the learning we found in the West End and Broadway and putting that in. We’re doing things differently again. We don’t have all the set elements but with those challenges comes a real opportunity to do something even more exciting, even more dynamic that engages our audiences,” she says.

“This tour will not be a watered down version – it will be the best version yet.”

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME

York Grand Opera House, Jan 20-24. Box office 0844-8713024 and atgtickets.com/york

Newcastle Theatre Royal, Jan 27-Feb 7. 08448-112121 and theatreroyal.co.uk

Sunderland Empire, Aug 11-15. 0844-8713022 and atgtickets.com/sunderland