Siobhan:
My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every prime number up to 7,507.
Luke:
Christopher Boon is a remarkable human being he has a massive imagination and a massive comprehension of the universe and science and maths.
Christopher:
Then they worked out the universe was expanding that all the stars were rushing away from one another after the big bang the further the stars were away from us the faster they were expanding, some of them nearly as fast as the speed of light鈥.
Luke:
Things like numbers and maths and science are definite concrete things which he can understand.
Mrs Alexander:
I bet you鈥檙e very good at maths aren鈥檛 you?
Christopher:
I am. I鈥檓 going to do A-level Maths next month. And I鈥檓 going to get an A*.
Mrs Alexander:
Really? A level Maths?
Christopher: Yes. I don鈥檛 tell lies.
Marianne:
Christopher is incredibly sharp in some ways but in other ways, he鈥檚 quite immature I suppose or undeveloped.
Mrs Alexander:
I have a grandson your age鈥
Christopher:
My age is fifteen years and three months and three days.
Mrs Alexander:
Well, almost your age.
Marianne:
He鈥檚 never been outside of his street on his own, ever! He goes to school on a school bus that picks him up and drops him off at home.
Christopher:
In the bus, on the way to school, we passed four red cars in a row.
Siobhan:
Four??
Christopher:
So today is a good day!
Siobhan:
Great! I am glad!
Marianne:
Humans are very puzzling to him whereas animals aren鈥檛 which is why he鈥檚 very upset about the dog's death at the top of the show. He understands animals, he doesn鈥檛 understand humans.
Christopher:
I don鈥檛 always do what I鈥檓 told.
Siobhan:
Why?
Christopher:
Because when people tell you what to do it is usually confusing and does not make sense. For example, people often say be quiet but they don鈥檛 often tell you how long to be quiet for.
Luke:
He finds it very hard for instance to look at peoples faces because he finds facial expressions very hard to understand.
Siobhan:
Siobhan says that if you raise one eyebrow it can mean lots of different things. It can mean I want to do sex with you. I never said that.
Christopher:
Yes you did.
Siobhan:
I didn鈥檛 use those words Christopher.
Christopher:
Yes you did on September 12th last year at first break.
Robyn:
Part of my job role is working with people on the autistic spectrum and Christopher demonstrates quite a number of traits of the autistic spectrum so for example he finds it very difficult to be touched. He can鈥檛 predict when somebody is going to do somethingand therefore it becomes a shock.
He needs routine and if something changes that makes him very anxious.
Woman:
I think there is someone on the platform looking for you.
Christopher:
I know.
Woman:
Well, it鈥檚 your look out.
Christopher:
103, 107, 109, 113鈥
Robyn:
He has with maths, what he finds comforting is what he turns to when he鈥檚, erm鈥 stressed I suppose a bit like a comforting blanket.
Christopher:
鈥 223, 227, 229
Marianne:
We all did a lot of research actually about the condition that Christopher might have. We went to various schools and talked to various teachers, erm, and talked to a lot of kids who had Asperger鈥檚 syndrome.
Luke:
I鈥檇 go in and speak to the kids or watch from the back of a classroom as they were having an art class and that was just so useful to me.
Marianne:
Everybody is so individual on that鈥檚 spectrum, that we, our job really was to be true to Christopher鈥 what was happening for Christopher and what was right for him.
Christopher:
This water, this rain has evaporated actually from somewhere like maybe the Gulf of Mexico maybe or Baffin Bay and now its falling in front of the house and it will drain away into the gutter and flow to a sewage station where it will be cleaned and then it will go into a river and then it will go back into the ocean again.
Simon:
One of the challenges that I faced was, erm, developing Christopher鈥檚 character. For me that came not necessarily through what Christopher was saying but what the characters were doing to one another.
Ed:
Sharing your life with other actual human beings. I mean鈥
Simon:
By watching Ed Boone, for example who is Christopher鈥檚 dad, share a space with Christopher and the way Ed moves and the way Ed behaves around him. By showing how difficult it is for Ed to touch Christopher. Just those little physical moments allows us an insight into Christopher that Christopher can鈥檛 allow us into because Christopher can鈥檛 identify those emotional experiences.
Luke:
I think Christopher鈥檚 character has changed does change throughout the book.
Woman's voice:
Please use assistance phone opposite right of the ticket office. Warning!
Luke:
The whole process of him going to London and having to be brave and having to overcome that most terrifying of journeys, erm, I think, leaves him at the end especially when he gets his A level result I think it leaves him thinking actually you know what anything is possible and going on that huge journey to London, I think has been something that has given him courage.
Christopher:
I got an A *
Siobhan:
Oh! Oh! That鈥檚 just. That鈥檚 terrific Christopher!
Christopher:
Yes.
[Audience laughs]
Siobhan:
Aren鈥檛 you happy?
Christopher:
Yes. It鈥檚 the best result.
Siobhan:
I know it is鈥
Video summary
An exploration of the character Christopher Boone, from the novel and play 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'.
Both the actor who originated the role and the director of the National Theatre production talk about their understanding and interpretation of the character.
We see the character in action and his unique view on the world, through footage of the play in production.
The playwright talks about the challenges in representing Christopher鈥檚 relationships with others, because of the character鈥檚 autism.
The footage shows how the actor physically embodied the character of Christopher Boone, and how he brought the role to life.
PLEASE NOTE: There is footage from the theatre production of a model dog with a pitchfork through it, which some people might find upsetting.
Teacher Notes
Students could use this short film to explore the character of Christopher when reading the novel, or as an overall introduction to the story.
This short film is suitable for teaching GCSE English literature and drama in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 5 in Scotland.
Creating Atmosphere. video
Through interviews with the director and designers, we learn how projection, lighting and sound come together to create atmosphere in the production.
Creating Comedy and Tension. video
The cast and creative team explore how they created moments of comedy and tension in the play.
Design Elements. video
A look at how the highly stylised set of the play was designed, featuring interviews with the director and designers.
Ensemble Acting. video
The cast and creative team give us an insight into the use of ensemble acting, where a small group of actors play a large number of different parts.
Adapting a Novel for Theatre. video
Playwright Simon Stephens explains the strategies he used in adapting the story of Mark Haddon鈥檚 novel into a script for his production at the National Theatre.
What is Physical Theatre? video
Scott Graham from theatre company, Frantic Assembly, explains what physical theatre is, and how it was used to create the original National Theatre production.
Christopher and his Dad. video
An exploration of the relationship between Christopher Boone and his Dad, Ed Boone, using footage from the original National Theatre production of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'.
Christopher and his Mum. video
A look at the relationship between Christopher Boone and his Mum, Judy, through interviews with the actors and footage from the National Theatre production.
Christopher and Siobhan. video
A look at the relationship between the characters of Christopher Boone and his teacher, Siobhan, played by Niamh Cusack in the National Theatre production.
Themes. video
Playwright Simon Stephens explains the themes of the novel and play; family, love, honesty and truthfulness.
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