Christopher Boone

• Protagonist - Christopher 

  A01- Struggles to read people / unable to perceive others meaning and motivation

  ‘I find people confusing… people often talk using metaphors’
• AO2- declarative sentences – matter of fact approach

  AO3 – People with ASD have difficulties understanding and processing language, usually taking language literally. The staging is not literal.
• AO1- Christopher struggles to cope in stressful situations

  ‘he starts groaning’

  ‘My name is Christopher… I know all the countries in the world’- narrated by Siobhan at start of his book

  Voice Three: Q here please / Voice Four: Upper crust / Voice Three: Sainsbury’s
• AO3- barriers faces by people with autism- sensory and social. Stimming to calm himself –viewed as socially abnormal but what is normal?
• AO2- stage directions visually reveal his distress 

  Stephen’s device of using multiple narrators helps give the audience a sense of how chaotic and detailed the world can seem in Christopher’s mind.

  Expressionism - the ensemble say the numerous thinks Christopher notices when embarking on the journey to find his mother whereas somebody else may only notice one thing
• AO1 Christopher - Talent / flair / aptitude

  ‘The stars were all rushing away from one another after the Big Bang’ Christopher shows impressive understanding of complex ideas.
• AO3: Stephens wants society to understand that Christopher’s difficulties are balanced against his skills and people with Asperger’s are intelligent and capable
• AO2: Stephens uses staging to depict his abilities – the mathematical grid / use of light. The cinematicification of the play helps to convey depth of C understanding to audience. The staging is able to reflect his interior world to the audience. The lights reveal his complex neural pathways.
• Christopher AO1- Determined / resolute / tenacious / perseverance

  ‘I was doing detective work trying to figure out who killed Wellington.’ and ‘I found my mother. I was brave.’
• AO2- crime mystery genre as well as a bildungsroman (coming of age story). Christopher’s investigation leads to the discovery of his mother and journey to independence. 

  AO2 - plain language / declarative sentences 

  AO2 – intermediality – script/lighting/staging combine to reflect challenge of journey
• AO3 – Audience will reflect on the many hurdles C has to overcome to reach independence. This may have been different to their own experiences due to his Asperger's. The complexities of family life are universal- the breakdown of a family unit will be relatable for lots of the audience.