DO YOU KNOW WHO KILLED WELLEINGTON???

review by Jack Duggan

            Dog killers, cheaters, pet rats, friendly old ladies and much more can be seen in this show. The play The Curious Incident adapted by Simon Stevens, was a story about a young man with autism, Christopher, figuring out who killed his neighbor’s dog Wellington, and stumbling upon some very large secrets about his family along the way. The story evolves and eventually becomes much deeper than the death of Wellington.  The story is driven by compelling characters who interact very well together, and portray a believable family.  The stage was stunning.  Very few props were used to create the landscape. Instead, various shapes and objects were projected on to the stage. Throughout the entire show there was a barrage of flashing lights which kept the audience’s attention from drifting.  The use of light and sound to express how Christopher saw and heard the world was mesmerizing.  The noise created a sense of chaos that allowed the audience to experience the mind of an autistic man. 

            While the lights and sound were incredible, the characters are what truly drove the story.  Adam Langdon, the actor who portrayed Christopher, gave one of the best performances I have seen in recent memory.  He made Christopher such a believable character, and allowed the audience to feel genuine emotions toward him, rather than viewing him as a work of fiction. Another incredible performance came from Gene Gillette, who played Christopher’s father. His character truly loved Christopher, but at times became frustrated with him because of his disability. This is a very complex character, and Gillette portrayed that complexity to extremely well.   The only character that was not believable was the mother.  The story did not give enough explanation as to why she left her son and husband. This unfortunately made it difficult to sympathize with her character.  It was not a result of poor acting, but rather the story not giving her character the time she needed to be understood.

            The plot of the play was a winding road with an extremely unpredictable ending.  Right before the intermission, the show revealed who killed Wellington.  I must say, I personally did not predict it at all.  This unpredictable nature was a large factor in what made the show so great.  I honestly had no clue as to what would happen next.  The plot can be broken down and deep themes can be uncovered. Trust is one particular theme that was evident through the course of the play.   I was very impressed that what started as a silly and fun story, seamlessly transformed into a serious story about Christopher’s family with some heavy messages.

            All in all, The Curious Incident was an amazing show.  It seemed as though all aspects of what makes a great show appeared in this play.  The sounds and lighting were incredible, the acting was on point, and the show had an incredibly moving plot.  I strongly recommend that anyone who enjoys good theatre to see this show…except if you have epilepsy…you might want to stay away.