Ned Bennett’s new Birmingham Rep and Melting Pot production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time turns Christopher Boone’s journey from Swindon to London into an energetic sensory experience. Its inventive staging conveys the overload of unfamiliar sights, sounds and social interactions, while Alex Keenan’s performance captures Chris’s bewilderment, determination and enthusiasm.

Eleanor Bull’s stark white set shifts between geometric images and detailed projections, with Hayley Egan’s video design making ordinary objects appear strange and demanding. Giles Thomas’s percussive score and the playful, shape-shifting ensemble add to the intensity, while visual devices such as bouncing yellow balls and a skipping rope represent Chris’s struggle to navigate the city; despite darker themes including sex, death and infidelity, the production treats Chris’s experiences sensitively and celebrates her resilience.