A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Abridged for Schools

Short Play  /  5w, 5m plus ensemble

Simon Stephens, Mark Haddon

This 90-minute edition of Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens’ stage adaptation of Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel is designed for schools and has been adapted for a cast of 10 actors.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Abridged for Schools

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 5m plus ensemble
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Adaptation (Literature)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Pre-Teen (Age 11-13), Teen (Age 14-18)
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! Seven 2013 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play
    Winner! Five 2015 Tony Awards, including Best Play
    Winner! Six 2015 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Play
    Winner! Five 2015 Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Play
    Winner! 2015 Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Broadway Play

Details

Summary

This abridged edition is designed for schools and has been adapted for 10 actors playing all of the roles. With a running time of just 90 minutes, it is suitable for performance in non-theatre spaces with minimal technical requirements. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time brings Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel to life on stage, adapted by two-time Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens.

Winner of seven Olivier Awards, including Best Play, along with the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and Tony Awards for Best Play, this remarkable and exhilarating “theatrical masterpiece” originated at London’s Royal National Theatre in 2012 before going on to transfer to the West End for multiple seasons, followed by its acclaimed Broadway run. The play has now been seen on five continents around the world with major productions ranging from Mexico, Australia, Canada, Seoul and Japan.

This brand-new edition of the play has been abridged specifically with schools in mind, and was published following a 12-week tour of 60 secondary schools in the UK. The play tells the story of Christopher John Francis Boone, who is 15 years old. He stands besides Mrs Shears’ dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a garden fork. It is seven minutes after midnight, and Christopher is under suspicion. He records each fact in a book he is writing to solve the mystery of who killed Wellington. He has an extraordinary brain and is exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and he distrusts strangers. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that upturns his world.

History
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time premiered at the Royal National Theatre on 2 August 2012 under the direction of Marianne Elliott. On 5 October 2014, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, with Elliott returning as director.
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting Various locations. The present.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Exhilarating, dynamic theatre which triumphantly expands the boundaries of theatricality.” – Huffington Post

“This is the whole package, a rare case of family entertainment that speaks to the heart and brain.” – New York Post

“Be prepared to have all your emotional and sensory buttons pushed, including a few you may have not known existed.” – The New York Times

Photos

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Abridged for Schools

    Image: 2014 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Abridged for Schools

    Image: 2014 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Abridged for Schools

    Image: 2014 Broadway Production (Joan Marcus)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Simon Stephens

Simon Stephens is an award-winning playwright.

His early work at the Royal Court includes BLUEBIRD (1998); HERONS (2001), COUNTRY MUSIC (2004) and MOTORTOWN (2006). In 2008 his play HARPER REGAN opened at the National Theatre, and SEA WALL, starring Andrew Scott, played at ...

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Author

Mark Haddon

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