WHEN a production receives a plethora of awards, there is always a sense of whether it will live up to expectations.

Add into that the fact play is adapted from a book and there is added scepticism.

However, Simon Stephens’ stage version of Mark Haddon’s book The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night-time does not falter at any point.

The play follows 15-year-old Christopher Boone, embodied superbly by the extremely talented Scott Reid, who describes himself as “someone who has behavioural problems”.

After discovering his neighbour's dog dead in the garden Christopher puts his extraordinary brain to work, becoming an amateur detective, ending up on a journey that will challenge him beyond his imagination.

Christopher’s journey is part told through Reid and partly through the narration of the book he has written, which is read aloud by his teacher Siobhan, played by Lucianne McEvoy.

As the adventure strays away from solving the mystery of the dead dog, Christopher finds himself more and more in situations he has never been in before - even travelling to the hustle and bustle of London, which for someone who doesn’t like to be touched can be quite a daunting task.

With a very minimal stage set up at the Mayflower, in Southampton, Reid along with his fellow cast member make great use of the stage, and the addition of lighting, sound and even members of the ensemble acting as props the audience really gets lost in Christopher’s world.  

One scene in particular which sticks out, is on Christopher’s arrival in London the backdrop is bombarded with words, lights and sounds. A touch which really gives the audience a visual representation of what might be going on in the brain of someone who is on the autistic spectrum.

On the surface, The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night-time may seem quite minimal in production, but it makes up for this in storytelling, proving it is thoroughly deserving of all the accolades it has received over the years.

The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night-time will be at the Mayflower Theatre until April 1, to book your tickets visit mayflower.org.uk.