Next Stage Theatre Company on tour with 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time'

The Minack Theatre at Lands End July 28th - 31st 2025 

No one in their right mind would contemplate delivering high-end entertainment on a sheer cliff face with crashing seas below, frequent inclement weather and difficult access. No one, that is, unless you are one of the few privileged companies invited each year to perform at The Minack Theatre on the Lands End peninsula in Cornwall. The furthest flung theatre in the west of our United Kingdom the theatre was the vision of Rowena Cade whose family home in the early 1900s was atop the cliff overlooking Porthcurno Bay.

Rowena, a Cheltenham Ladies educated spinster, made an inspired decision in the 1930’s to use the sloping cliff down from her back garden to the rocks below as an auditorium for some Shakespearean productions aimed at entertaining the local villagers. Nearly 100 years later Rowena’s simple vision has become an internationally famous, high-tech, state of the art theatre with over 500 eager audience members cramming the terraces and cliffside seats at each show to watch everything from opera to Shakespeare, from Noël Coward to this week’s current production –The Who’s Tommy.  

Next Stage Theatre Company has been lucky enough to achieve a regular visiting slot at the Minack since 1998 performing again in 2001 and then every two years until their latest outing two weeks ago. On this most recent visit Next Stage took Mark Haddon’s brilliant story The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time -adapted for the stage by Simon Stephen - and performed it six times to sell-out audiences.

The logistics of getting props, set, costumes, technical kit, actors and all their paraphernalia down the steep cliff at 9 am on a Saturday morning knowing that by Monday at 8pm you will be performing a fully rehearsed, costumed and technically lit show – complete with sound effects and perfectly timed exits and entrances - can seem daunting. Over the years Next Stage’s solution has been to create a chain of people – often 30-40 strong - arranged on the cliff side passing all the necessary bits and pieces down to the stage. This year the company’s Artistic Director Ann Ellison BEM had made everyone’s life a lot easier by designing the show around eight boxes and 12 planks, with the cast all in black! It was the quickest get-in and get out ever!

This year, unlike some others, the weather gods smiled on us and although the seven days of warm and still air did lead to hot conditions, regular plagues of flying ants plus the inevitable distraction of paddle boards, fishing boats, tourist boats and the occasional passing dolphin all being able to get close up and personal in the matinees, it was a joy to have such perfect conditions.

Of course, all any company really wants to do at The Minack is celebrate and enhance the reputation of this quite extraordinarily beautiful and inspirational performance space. Luckily Mark Haddon’s story worked its charm and without a doubt Next Stage received more enthusiastic comments about the show than it could’ve dared to hope for. Visitors’ comments such as:

‘Last night was fantastic’

‘What an amazing evening!’

‘The show - Curious Incident - was the absolute best we have seen - probably ever in about 25 years of coming to The Minack. It was exceptional. Thanks to all concerned.’

‘Loved the performance - thank you’

‘Excellent’  

The standing ovation at the end of each performance meant the months of hard work, rehearsing in a back garden to simulate the Minack Stage, the long journey to Porthcurno, and even longer performance days were all worthwhile.

The cast and crew of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time once again flew the theatrical flag of excellence high for their home city of Bath and, without a doubt, enhanced their own considerable national and international reputation with the 3500 tourists and locals alike who flocked to see their work.

Cast

Christopher Boone - Fin Hancorn
Siobhan - Tania Lyons
Ed - Mike Stevens
Judy - Antonia White
Mrs Shears/Mrs Gascoyne/Passenger/Shopkeeper - Kitty Muffett
Mrs Alexander/Posh Woman - Kay Francksen
Roger/Duty Sergeant/Rev.Peters/Station Policeman - Brian Fisher
No. 40/Information/Drunk 1/Punk Girl - Sophia Punt
Policeman 1 & London Policeman/Man Behind Counter/Drunk 2/ Mr Thompson/Man with Socks - Alex Tarasevych

Production Team

Director - Ann Ellison
Stage Manager/Tour Manager - Andrew Ellison
Assistant Stage Manager - Alexa Garner
Assistant Stage Manager - Alan Vine
Light Design and Operative - Kris Nuttall
Sound Operative - Andy Punt
Fight Choreographer - Nicky Wilkins
Set Design - Ann Ellison
Set Construction - Brian Fisher
Photography - Mike Stevens