A* for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time at Leighton Park

The Senior production of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’ had very successful two night run over Thursday 13th and Friday 14th February. The cast and crew pulled out all the stops to deliver a poignant and moving show following the experiences of Christopher, an autistic teenager forced to confront the complicated realities of the adult world around him.

Jessica Wittert van Hoogland, Director of Drama, who joined Leighton Park last September, has delivered a fantastic first production for the School. “The company should be incredibly proud of the way in which they have collaborated as an ensemble to create such a powerful piece of storytelling. They have combined physical theatre, movement, and some excellent acting with our brilliant original score to capture Christopher's experience of this confusing world. Taking part in theatre projects brings communities together as well as encouraging students to challenge their capabilities. Through exploring relationships and experiencing the creative process we learn to understand ourselves better in society.”

Jessy (Lower Sixth) played Christopher’s mother, Judy, and was enthusiastic about the experience: “I have enjoyed the atmosphere that has been created, this freedom to add ideas of our own and for the cast to experiment and try different things has been really fun. I also love how we get to talk to some people in different years.”

Oscar (Lower Sixth), who hopes to move into a Music Production career after school, created an entire original score for the show inspired by his own study of the play during GCSE English last year and his awareness of the original music. His imaginative compositions generated the perfect accompaniment for the performance. Oscar explained his approach saying, “After I’d started each song I’d pick out sounds and the melodic ideas that I liked and I made sure to feature them throughout each song to make it feel more cohesive and more like an actual soundtrack.”

Leo (Year 11) took the role of Ed, Christopher’s father, explaining, “I really enjoyed exploring the dynamic between the characters and in the relationship, both in rehearsals, and eventually on stage. There are a lot of opportunities to perform at Leighton Park. No matter how much previous experience you have. The facilities are amazing, and the department works very closely with Music, Dance and Media in order to produce some very professional shows. Teachers will always be very supportive and encourage you to take part in these productions, they are a great opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself, and to create some amazing theatre.”