This week, the outdoor stage at PORT Park will host The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which brings Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel to life. The production is a Tony Award winner—taking home five awards including ‘Best Play’—and garnered seven Olivier Awards. Playwright Simon Stephens, a two-time Olivier Award winner, adapted the work for the stage.
Appollinaire Theatre’s annual free outdoor production runs through July at PORT Park, beginning this week with performances Wednesday through Sunday at 8 p.m. The premiere opened on Wednesday, July 10, and continues through July 28.
Christopher, the protagonist, is brilliant yet challenged—his mind excels at mathematics but struggles to navigate a world misaligned with how he thinks. Isolated by his own boundaries, he has never traveled alone beyond his street, avoids touch, and fears strangers. When suspicion falls on him for his neighbor’s dog’s death, he embarks on an investigation. This search uncovers a shocking truth and transforms his entire existence.
Playing the 15-year-old Christopher is Seamus Doyle, also 15. Doyle has performed with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company in Richard III and Fear and Misery in the Third Reich, appeared in New Repertory Theatre’s Fiddler on the Roof, and performed in over 10 productions with Watertown Children’s Theatre. He previously portrayed Christopher in a school production of Curious Incident at Buckingham, Browne & Nichols school.
David Reiffel serves as Sound Designer and Composer, crafting the sonic landscape. With 22 productions for Apollinaire under his belt, Reiffel’s notable credits include last summer’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a Norton nominee for Outstanding Fringe Production. His sound work has traveled from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to Boston’s SpeakEasy Stage, and he recently received the Norton Award for Outstanding Musical Direction. Lighting Designer Christopher Bocchiaro, who impressed audiences last summer, will design the lighting, while costume designer Elizabeth Rocha rounds out the creative team.
Danielle Fauteux Jacques, a longtime Chelsea favorite, directs the production.
Attendees are welcome to bring blankets, beach chairs, and picnics to enjoy while taking in the harbor views.
Performances run July 10-28, Wednesday through Sunday at 8 p.m., and admission is free. All shows take place at PORT Park, 99 Marginal Street, on the Chelsea Waterfront. On-site free parking is available, and the runtime is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes.
For information and directions, visit www.apollinairetheatre.com or call (617) 887-2336. In case of rain, call (617) 887-2336 to confirm status.