SOMETIMES in life you get to witness something pretty special.

I knew that Simon Stephens' stage adaption of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time had won bucket loads of awards but I didn't expect to be sent into orbit by how original, how moving and how powerful it was until I was lucky enough to see it for myself at Bath's Theatre Royal.

I was simply blown away by all of it. The way the outstanding Scott Reid, who played the lead 15-year-old character Christopher Bone, was able to convey the point of view of the young protagonist, who has Asperger's Syndrome, and the way the visual effects brought the play to life in a way you did not think possible, make for an extraordinary performance.

This powerfully engaging modern classic concerns the mysterious death of a neighbour's dog that is investigated by the teenager, who seems ill-equipped to function in everyday life but possesses a fierce intelligence and a mathematical ability far beyond his years, before embarking on a journey that rocks him to the very core.

This play is also very clever. From reading the programme notes about Mark Haddon's book, a lot of what is written down happens in Christopher's head.

So instead of presenting the story in the first-person narrative, the play is presented as a reading of his own writing, read aloud by the rest of the cast, which also includes a rat and a puppy.

You have to marvel at how Reid immerses himself in a role that appears to be mentally and physically demanding.

The set too is brilliantly done. The backdrop is a grid that has 'space' on one axis and 'time' on the other, which gives an insight into the youngster's fascination with maths.

For a boy who hates to be touched and cowers in terror at the chance that it may well happen, this is an incredibly touching play that also possesses timely comic injections and a lorry-load of suspense.

Any tale that starts off with a dog being impaled by a garden fork – no dogs were harmed during the play – may not strike someone as affectionate or sentimental but the play's honesty, awkwardness and wonder deliver just that in the end.

If I got the chance to watch it again I would jump at the opportunity and have already recommended it to my dad, my work mates and a house mate, and that is just a couple of hours afterwards.

The only thing I would say is that it is so darn hard to remember the actual title. If they could simplify it for goons like me that would be appreciated.

Richard Mills