In a face-off that fanboys and girls could previously only dream about, Matt Smith’s eleventh Doctor is to do battle with Andrew Scott’s evil genius Moriarty as part of a stage production that will also feature Ben Whishaw in his role as James Bond boffin Q.


A Curious Night at the Theatre, a one-off sequel to hit West End show The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, will form part of an event at London’s Apollo Theatre tonight (Monday 1 July) to raise money for two autism charities.

The play will feature live performances from Jude Law as a supply teacher and Harry Treadaway as its autistic star Boone, together with filmed scenes featuring Smith, Scott and Helen Mirren as the Queen.

The tale sees the Time Lord enlisting Boone’s help in an attempt to foil a plot by Moriarty (the villain viewers loved to hate in BBC1’s Sherlock) to disseminate a computer virus which would destroy people’s ability to understand metaphors (a common effect of autism) and thereby their capacity to create art and culture.

As he embarks on his mission for the Doctor, Boone asks permission from Her Majesty the Queen to seek help from secret service computer expert Q.

The play is a collaboration by author Mark Haddon, who wrote the source novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and the director of the original stage adaptation, Simon Stephens.

“It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see all those people in the same story,” said Stephens. “I’m sure a lot of people have fantasised about what would happen if the Doctor did battle with Moriarty.”

The production is part of gala fundraising night A Curious Night at the Theatre, which is hosted by Great British Bake Off presenter Mel Giedroyc and will also feature a set from stand-up comedian and Grandma’s House star Simon Amstell.


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time tells the story of Boone, a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism) who sets out to discover who killed his neighbour’s dog. The title is based on a quote from Sherlock Holmes that features in orginal Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story Silver Blaze.