Review Roundup: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT
Wednesday | Sep. 13, 2017
With its potent blend of dynamic choreography, technical wizardry and rich performances, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a theatrical phenomenon unlike any other. Audiences and critics alike are raving about The Rep's adaptation, which is the first regional theatre staging of a show that won five Tony Awards and made a huge splash in London.
We're compiling all of the local critical reactions in this space, so be sure to keep checking back as the reviews continue to roll in! The show continues through October 1.
Judith Newmark, St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
"Why would a straight play need a choreographer? Marcia Milgrom Dodge shows us exactly why in her fluid, crystal-clear production of 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. It opens the season with a supple theatrical sensibility that owes as much to dance as it does to drama."
Jeannette Cooperman, St. Louis Magazine:
"Unless they’re musicals, plays aren’t usually this brilliantly choreographed, animated throughout by the energy of movement. Stylized, sometimes balletic, sometimes chaotic, it conveys the speed of Christopher’s thoughts and the intolerable disorder of change, transition, breaks in routine."
Steve Allen, Stage Door St. Louis:
"This look at a brilliant teen who dazzles with his complicated mind but can’t handle day to day social situations is a totally immersive play that draws us into his world with innovative staging and a powerful cast."
"A dazzling and intellectually stimulating interpretation of this complex, moody masterpiece, accentuated by Nick LaMedica’s arresting performance in the lead role."
Jacqueline McGarry, St. Louis Limelight:
"Guys, I could gush for days about this show and these actors, but I’ll stop and urge you to GO. SEE. IT."
"... a spectacular theater experience. From the opening moment to the gently affective conclusion, we experience the story through Christopher's eyes. Rich with detail and smartly crafted dialogue, his story is heartwarming and life affirming."
Richard T. Green, Talkin' Broadway:
"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (based on the novel by Mark Haddon) opens up so much keening compassion and heartbreak within us that we achieve an incomparable sense of spiritual realignment."
"It’s so exciting that we are lucky enough to see a show like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and have it handled so wonderfully like it has been by The Rep. It is a great story, told through brilliant performances and creative scenic design, and it is one that will stick with you long after the curtain closes."
Andrea Torrence, St. Louis Theatre Snob:
"The play hinges on this performance, and an excellent, endearing Nick LaMedica sinks into this demanding role with a fixed gaze that implies his mind's wheels turning, and tight shoulders and a contorted face when his routines are disturbed or his surroundings start to close in​."
"[It's] everything I expect a truly memorable experience at the theatre to be. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me think. I was fully drawn in by its considerable charms."
Gerry Kowarsky, HEC-TV's Two on the Aisle:
"A brilliant production. ... Gets The Rep's second 50 years off to an excellent start."
"This is a must-see production for any and all theatre lovers."
Ann Pollack, St. Louis Eats and Drinks:
"What the Rep has given us is outstanding. Its take on it allows the characters and indeed the humanity of it all to be emphasized more."
Michelle Kenyon, Snoop's Theatre Thoughts:
"This is a profoundly moving play. It’s cleverly staged and fast-moving, with a good balance of humor and drama."