THE National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – which visits Southampton this month – was one of the big winners at the prestigious Tony Awards held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York.

The production won five awards: Best Play – Simon Stephens, Best Direction of a Play – Marianne Elliott, Best Performance by a leading Actor in a Play – Alex Sharp as Christopher Boone, Best Lighting Design of a Play – Paule Constable and Best Scenic Design of a Play – Bunny Christie and Finn Ross.

On tour in the UK and Ireland, the play is coming to Mayflower Theatre from June 23 to July 4.

Daily Echo:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which started life at the National Theatre’s Cottesloe Theatre in 2012, transferred to the West End in 2013 (winning seven Olivier Awards) and is now simultaneously running at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End, on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and on the major tour of the UK and Ireland.

Marianne Elliot, who won the award for Best Direction of a Play, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and honoured that we have won five Tony Awards, and that our show has been as embraced by audiences in New York, as it has been in London and on this amazing tour of the UK and Ireland, which has been thrilling audiences since it began late last year.

“When we first started working on this show we had no idea whether there would be an audience for it. We were all working outside our comfort zones, all trying to do something we believed in utterly but which meant taking risks.

"It was incredible to see the audience at the National Theatre, then for that to grow in to the West End.

"To have even the slightest idea that it would go to Broadway, let alone to win these awards, is incredible.”

Simon Stephens, who accepted the award for Best Play alongside the entire producing team, added: “It’s been an incredible collaboration and the fact the show has been received this well in New York means the world to me.”

The production has been hugely successful during this year’s Broadway theatre awards season in New York, also winning five Outer Critics Circle Awards.

It tells the story of Christopher, a 15 year old, who is first seen standing besides Mrs Shears’ dead dog.

It has been speared with a garden fork, it is seven minutes after midnight and Christopher is under suspicion.

He records each fact in a book he is writing to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington.

He has an extraordinary brain, and is exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life.

He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road and distrusts strangers.

But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that upturns his world.

 Book tickets from the box office on 023 8071 1811 or at mayflower.org.uk