Moore Ruth - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The Play

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Christopher

Siobhan

Ed, Christophers dad

Mrs Alexander

Judy, Christophers mother

Mrs Shears / Voice One / Mrs Gascoyne / Woman on Train / Woman on Heath

Policeman One / Voice Two / Mr Thompson / Rhodri / Man behind Counter / Posh Man / Drunk Two / Shopkeeper / Roger

Duty Sergeant / Voice Three / Mr Wise / Uncle Terry / Drunk One / London Transport Policeman / Customer / Man on Phone

Reverend Peters / Voice Four / Station Policeman / Ticket Collector / Station Guard / Man with Socks / London Policeman / Ukrainian One /

Number 44 / Voice Five / Lady in Street / Information / Punk Girl / Ukrainian Two

All actors remain on stage unless prescribed otherwise.

There is also a dead dog. With a fork sticking out of it.

Scenes run into one another without interruption regardless of alterations in space or time or chronology.

A dead dog lies in the middle of the stage. A large garden fork is sticking out of its side.

Christopher Boone, fifteen years old, stands on one side of it. His forty-two-year-old neighbourMrs Shearsstands on the other.

They stand for a while without saying anything. The rest of the company watch, waiting to see who is going to dare to speak first.

Mrs Shears What in Christs name have you done to my dog?

Christopheris frozen to the spot.

Mrs Shears Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh Christ.

Christophersteacher, twenty-seven-year-oldSiobhanopensChristophersbook. She reads from it.

Siobhan It was seven minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears house.

Mrs Shears Get away from my dog.

Siobhan Its eyes were closed. It looked as if it was running on its side, the way dogs run when they think they are chasing a cat in a dream. But the dog was not running or asleep. The dog was dead.

Mrs Shears Get away from my dog.

Siobhan There was a garden fork sticking out of the dog. The dog was called Wellington. It belonged to Mrs Shears who was our friend. She lived on the opposite side of the road, two houses to the left.

Mrs Shears Get away from my dog.

Christophertakes two steps away from the dog.

Siobhan My name is Christopher John Francis Boone. I know all the countries of the world and the capital cities. And every prime number up to 7507.

Mrs Shears Get away from my dog, for Christs sake.

Christopherputs his hands over his ears. He closes his eyes. He rolls forward. He presses his forehead on to the grass. He starts groaning.

Siobhan After twelve and a half minutes a policeman arrived. He had a big orange leaf stuck to the bottom of his shoe which was poking out from one side. This is good, Christopher. Its quite exciting. I like the details. They make it more realistic.

APolicemanenters. He has a big orange leaf stuck to the bottom of his shoe, which is poking out to one side. He squats next toChristopher.

Siobhan He squatted down next to me. He said to me:

Policeman One Would you like to tell me whats going on here, young man?

Christopherstops groaning.

There is some time.

Christopherlifts his head from the ground.

There is some time.

Christopherlooks at thePoliceman.

There is some time.

Siobhan I do not tell lies. Mother used to say that this was because I was a good person. But it is not because I am a good person. It is because I cant tell lies.

Christopher The dog is dead.

Policeman One Id got that far.

Christopher I think someone killed the dog.

Policeman One How old are you?

Christopher Im fifteen years and three months and two days.

Policeman One And what precisely are you doing in the garden?

Christopher Im talking to you.

Policeman One Why were you in the garden in the first place?

Christopher I could see Wellington in the garden, it looked like someone tried to plant him.

Policeman One Did you try to plant the dog?

Christopher No, I did not. I like dogs.

Policeman One Did you kill the dog?

Christopher I did not kill the dog.

Policeman One Is this your fork?

Christopher No.

Policeman One You seem very upset about this.

Im going to ask you once again.

Christopherstarts groaning.

Policeman One Terrific.

Christophercarries on groaning.

Policeman One Young man Im going to ask you to stop making that noise and to stand up please calmly and quietly.

Christophercarries on groaning.

Policeman One Marvellous. Great. Just flipping

ThePolicemantries to lift him up by his arm.

Christopherscreams. He hits thePoliceman.

ThePolicemanstares atChristopher. For a while the two look at one another, neither entirely sure what to say or quite believing what has just happened.

Policeman One Im arresting you for assaulting a police officer.

I strongly advise you to get into the back of the police car because if you try any of that monkey-business again, you little shit, I am going to seriously lose my rag. Is that understood?