GCSE English Literature / Drama: Who is Christopher Boone?

Video summary

This short film is to support teaching around GCSE English Literature or Drama.

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’s relationships with others, because of the character’s 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.

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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.

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Through interviews with the director and designers, we learn how projection, lighting and sound come together to create atmosphere in the production.

Creating Atmosphere

The cast and creative team explore how they created moments of comedy and tension in the play.

Creating Comedy and Tension

A look at how the highly stylised set of the play was designed, featuring interviews with the director and designers.

Design Elements

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.

Ensemble Acting

Playwright Simon Stephens explains the strategies he used in adapting the story of Mark Haddon’s novel into a script for his production at the National Theatre.

Adapting a Novel for Theatre

Scott Graham from theatre company, Frantic Assembly, explains what physical theatre is, and how it was used to create the original National Theatre production.

What is Physical Theatre?

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 Dad

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 his Mum

A look at the relationship between the characters of Christopher Boone and his teacher, Siobhan, played by Niamh Cusack in the National Theatre production.

Christopher and Siobhan

Playwright Simon Stephens explains the themes of the novel and play; family, love, honesty and truthfulness.

Themes

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