But I did promise in my last post that if I found my notes on The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Nighttime, I will write about it, so here it goes. (If my rusty brain still remembers) 

The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Nighttime is based on a coming of age novel about a boy who suffers from Asperges. Unlike most musicals, the set initially appears very static, as it is literally a huge box. However, it offers a very unique and fresh perspective as the set does not depict the surrounding environment, but act more of a reflection of the inner working of the boy's mind. 

Do not discredit the box. It may seem like a boring space, but it is full of surprises. I do not know how they constructed it but there were so many movable elements in the box itself. There was one point it acted as a locker, then is a cupboard and later as an escalator?!??! In fact, why I loved the concept of this space is because everything is not what it seems. Before the half time, Christopher can be seen placing random stuff on the floor which may not seem like anything as he is always consistently fidgeting. But what we do not know is that the actor is under the guise of his character and building a train set and right in front of our very nose without us knowing! And then once all the pieces are interconnected, it becomes a toy train on the tracks and give us the illusion that he took that same train to London to find his mother. I thought that transition between scene is simply fantastic and it cuts straight away into half time after that. I remember I was so blown away by that flawless execution at that time. 

Although the play is about solving the murder of his neighbour's dog, the plot digresses and focus more on Christopher's personal development and gain of independence. He does not know how to socially interact with others, or good with navigating new environment. Instead he prefers pattern, orders and familiarity. By venturing out to solve the dog's murder, it forces Christopher to come out of his comfort zone and become independent along the way. In doing so, he learns about his Mother's affair and his Father's deception. 

The fact that they decided to keep costumes minimal and trade the usual theatrical outfits for everyday clothes make the story even more relatable. The lack of props also strips a layer between him and us and the lack of physical barrier makes us more susceptible to his emotions and thoughts. 

 

To be honest, I do not have much to write on this musical. Not because it was not great, but simply because it was too long ago and I did not leave enough notes to myself on my phone to write about. Funny story, I was actually being baptised this week and I brought my Godmother to watch this show with me. Oh my goodness gracious me! I wished the floor could swallow me. I booked it without knowing its content and lets just say that there was some really catchy songs which you should should NOT have stuck in your head then. 

These are two completely different shows. To start, one is a play and the other is a musical. The former has a much deeper meaning while the latter is a more lighthearted, adult comedic vibe to it. I have watched quite a few musicals since coming to London already. (Most of which are not in the blog because I only started this last year.) But these two theatrical performance is definitely up there in my ranking. 

 

Although, be warned. The Book Of Mormon may not be for everyone. If you like shows like "Family Guy" and "South Park", then this is your kind of humour. It is definitely not a show you bring your grandmother or godparents too, and if you are religious, you have to watch it with an open mind.