Seeing this thrilling piece of theatre for a second time reminded me why I recommended it to so many friends and colleagues the first time around.

The National Theatre’s acclaimed production is now ten years old (it opened at the same time as the London Olympics), but Simon Stephens’ adaptation of Mark Haddon’s wonderful – though be warned, sweary – novel still feels as vibrant, fresh and ground-breaking as it did when James Bond was jumping out of a helicopter with the Queen.

The drama centres on 15-year-old Christopher Boone, who discovers his neighbour’s dog Wellington has been murdered and after initially being accused of the deed makes it his mission to expose the killer. Although it’s never stated explicitly, Christopher has Asperger’s Syndrome, making his ‘investigating’ something of a challenge, since it requires interaction with strangers – something he’s avoided all his young life.

Those familiar with the book will know the dead canine – and the identity of his slayer – are merely the tip of the iceberg of the ultimately life-affirming tale, which the stage version takes to new heights by mixing in dynamic choreography, a variety of sound and visual effects and even a few smart-arse self-referential nods.

It all works brilliantly and beautifully, but as much as the cutting-edge bells and whistles make for a dazzling spectacle, the real achievement by director Marianne Elliott and her exemplary cast is the perfectly-pitched reading of an intimate family drama, which is never less than engaging, and often extremely moving.

That’s largely due to the central performance of autistic actor and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire graduate Connor Curren, whose energetic portrayal of Christopher’s physical and emotional journey is nothing short of spectacular. A constant stage presence, he expertly juggles complex dialogue, movement and stage cues to create a character the audience truly empathise with and root for – a fact demonstrated by the spontaneous applause that greeted one of Christopher’s achievements during the second half.

That simple moment was as delightful as it was unlikely and summed up the emotional connection at the heart of this truly wonderful piece of contemporary theatre that remains an absolute must-see. I urge you to go and do so - and don’t rush off after the curtain call.

Five stars

Reviewed by Steve Adams at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 29 March.

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time continues to show at the theatre until Sat 2 April