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31 July 2012

Youth Patron helps National Theatre autism play

Luke Treadaway, Cian Binchy, and Niamh Cusack
© Hermione Hardwick Photography

Ambitious about Autism Youth Patron Cian Binchy met some of the cast of the National Theatre’s play about autism, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, to tell them about his life and his perspective on having autism.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time premieres at London’s National Theatre on 2 August and is about Christopher, a boy with Asperger’s. It is based on Mark Haddon’s book of the same title.

Cian met the play’s director Marianne Elliott and actors Luke Treadaway, who plays Christopher, and Niamh Cusack, who plays Siobhan, when they visited Ambitious about Autism. He told them about his everyday experiences and took the actors and director on a tour of the flagship service TreeHouse School so they could see the specialist work the charity does.

Cian Binchy said: "I really enjoyed meeting the actors Luke and Niamh, and the director. It was interesting to hear what they are doing with the play and I liked helping them by telling them about my life. I was very comfortable talking to Luke and found him very interesting. I would like to see him in the play and work with him in the future. I consider him a very good friend of mine."

Niamh Cusack, actor, said: "I had  the privilege  of  visiting  TreeHouse  School and  spending  the morning  with Cian Binchy  and  some  of  the  teachers  and  students  at  the school. Cian is an extraordinary young man: articulate, witty and warm. He provided us with a real insight into being a person with autism. Meeting  him chimed  in many  ways  with what  Mark Haddon and  Simon Stephens  have evoked  in the  book and  the play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Visiting  the  school reminded me, as  the book does, that   there  are many  ways  of  viewing  the world  and  interacting  with  those  around  you. It was like getting a new set of glasses! Everything seemed more vivid!"

Cian is also a keen poet and actor, appearing in 1984 at the Lyric Hammersmith last August.

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