The Police Station & Ed's Entry

Test yourself

At the Police Station

Once again, Stephens uses Christopher’s autism (and how others react to it) in order to create comedy.

Christopher's shoe laces

Christopher is unable to contain his curiosity and asks the Duty Sergeant if he has to hand in his shoe laces in case he uses them to commit suicide or to attack a police officer.
There is a brief moment of physical comedy when the Duty Sergeant “looks” at Christopher, puzzled by Christopher’s unusual attempt to strike up a conversation.

Christopher's watch

Christopher’s refusal to take off his watch, communicated by the blunt, single-word response, “No”, also creates humour.
The Duty Sergeant is momentarily confused before making the situation much worse by attempting to take the watch by force.
Stephens creates dramatic irony for comic effect, with the audience all too aware from the previous scene of how Christopher responds to being touched.

Christopher discussing family

Christopher’s response to the question about his family is also comical.
Typically, Christopher provides the Duty Sergeant with another long list of facts, some of which are not particularly relevant to the situation.
The reference to his grandmother who has “senile dementia” and thinks Christopher is “someone on television” is another example of Stephens using a serious medical condition in an irreverent way, for comic effect.

Christopher's pockets

The list of the contents of Christopher’s pockets is in itself revealing.
We get our first reference to Toby, Christopher’s pet rat, who will later play a big part in the drama.
The “key to the front door” also suggests that Christopher has to let himself into his own house when no parents are at home: later in this scene, we will learn that Christopher’s mother is dead.

Narrative "voices"

Stephens uses other cast members as narrative “voices”, reading out the contents of Christopher’s pockets.
This dramatic device will be used to powerful effect later in the play.

Ed Enters

The arrival of Christopher’s father, Ed, allows us to see a different, more trusting, side to Christopher.

"Touch fingers"

Ed is introduced to the audience through a touching moment of gesture/physical theatre: Ed “holds his hand out” in front of his son and stretches his fingers.
In a moment of intimacy, Christopher mirrors his father’s movements and they both “touch fingers”.

Significance of the "touch"

This shared gesture is clearly a ritual which has been developed over time, demonstrating the close bond between father and son.
The delicate movements offer a sharp contrast with the violence of the previous scenes where the policeman and the Duty Sergeant attempted to make physical contact.
Christopher clearly trusts his father by allowing such contact.

Dialogue: Ed and Christopher

The first exchange of dialogue between father and son shows Ed engaging with Christopher’s interest in astronomy (“Could you... Is that right?”). This highlights the skill and patience that Ed uses to overcome the difficulties caused by Christopher’s condition.
Ed also helps to make Christopher feel safe by offering him reassurance (“It’s OK… I know”).

Ed's boundaries and irritation

Ed also tries to set boundaries, telling Christopher to “keep your nose out of other people’s business”.
Perceptive members of the audience may be suspicious about this and also by Ed’s growing irritation at Christopher’s interest in Wellington’s death: “it’s a bloody dog… I said leave it for God’s sake.”

1Introduction & Context

1.1Novel & Play

1.1.1Mark Haddon's Novel (2003)

1.1.2Simon Stephens' Adaptions (2012)

1.2Christopher's Autism

1.2.1Christopher's Autism

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Introduction & Context

2Form, Structure & Language

2.1Dramatic Devices

2.1.1Writing About the Text as a Playscript

2.1.2Dramatic Devices

2.2Genre & Structure

2.2.1Genre

2.2.2Structure

2.3Language

2.3.1Language

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Form, Structure & Language

3Text Summary & Analysis

3.1Part One

3.1.1Discovering the Dead Dog & Christopher's Autism

3.1.2The Policeman & Siobhan

3.1.3The Police Station & Ed's Entry

3.1.4Mother's Death & Beginning the Investigation

3.1.5Ed's Frustrations & Revisiting Mrs Alexander

3.1.6Remembering Judy & "Fight" Scene

3.1.7Judy's Letters

3.1.8Ed's Confession

3.1.9End of Topic Test - Part One

3.1.10End of Topic Test - Part One 2

3.2Part Two

3.2.1Preparing to Run Away & Train Station

3.2.2On the Train & Arriving in London

3.2.3On the Tube & Arriving at Judy's House

3.2.4Policeman, Ed Visits & Tensions

3.2.5Back in Swindon & New Beginnings

3.2.6The End & Maths Appendix

3.2.7End of Topic Test - Part Two

3.2.8End of Topic Test - Part Two cont....

4Themes

4.1Themes

4.1.1Independence

4.1.2Parenting

4.1.3Order & Disorder

4.1.4End of Topic Test - Themes

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