Brian Beacom

WHAT has been our collective experience of autism? Limited to little more than colouring in the lines drawn by the thin, dark pencil suggested by Dustin Hoffman’s Rainman?

It’s been changing however. We’ve begun to understand the concept of neuro-diversity – thinking in a different way – and realise those considered to be autistic can often be viewing life through a fascinating, imaginative lens.

But could we have imagined a young autistic Scot not only going on to become a professional actor but landing two major roles – almost as he walked out of the gates of drama college?

Connor Curren, who grew up in the north Glasgow suburb of Lenzie, has proven all bets are off when it comes to assessing the potential of the neurodiverse. Not only has he been appearing in major CBBC drama Dodger alongside Christopher Eccleston, but the young actor is also currently touring the UK in The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-time.

The stage play sees Curren cast as Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old who finds a dead dog in his garden and sets off to investigate. We go on a journey inside this young man’s head, a head fixated by numbers, angles, captured by lights, always working out possibilities, yet the journey of just a few streets takes him far from his comfort zone.

Based on the bestselling novel by Mark Haddon, Christopher is reckoned to be autistic (although he’s never actually defined as such.) This minor superhero role is an incredible part to play, but now the National Theatre has made the decision to cast a neurodiverse actor.

Does Curren appreciate that 10 years ago this form of positive casting wouldn’t have taken place. “If I were this age 10 years ago, I probably wouldn’t have known this about myself,” he admits, speaking from Liverpool where he’s appearing. “It’s a part of myself I would have been yet to discover. And I would guess my life would have gone in a very different direction. Or I would have been a very different person in so many ways.”

Developments in understanding the brains of neurodiverse people have allowed us to understand more of how they process information; they can have difficulty in organising tasks – yet also possess the ability to approach things more creatively.

Curren however suggests that the acting world is already complimented by many neurodiverse people. “I think it’s an abundant world, considering the likes of ADHT, dyslexia and Asperger’s. I think this profession attracts people from across the neurodiverse spectrum.”

Those who think differently are attracted to a world which encourages it? “Yes, I think so. People who have perhaps more of a need for self-expression. And that can lead to creative pursuits.

“And speaking as an autistic person, I think passion and obsession are key traits in acting.” He grins: “It’s a job in which you dive headfirst into the deep end.”

Yet, in the past, some considered those deemed to be autistic to be lacking in empathy. If this were the case, it’s not a great trait to have in a profession in which the principal purpose is to portray emotion? “I’ve said to many people over the years that having been raised in a neurotypical society I’ve been neurotypical in my head. So, I’ve been acting this way, if you will, for most of my life. So, I feel I can do it.

“But in terms of the empathy thing, I would say I am an empathetic person, or at least I believe I am. In fact, sometimes there are people in the autistic spectrum who feel they have too much empathy, and sometime emotions can overcome them.

“I feel this is something to be considered, rather than the viewpoint of the antiquated society which says we lack empathy. Really, what it (autism) often boils down to is a lack of ability to interpret social cues, and this can be misconstrued.”

He adds, smiling: “I’m not a scientist, but I don’t think I have any empathy problems at all.”

And acting is, well, acting. You don’t need to have the mechanical mindset of a sociopath in order to play a murderer. “Exactly,” he says.

Curren is supportive of the trend for actors to have lived the experience of the characters they are playing. but acknowledges that acting is “all about imagination, to be able to escape into a fantasy world. It’s like being a child, a cowboy or whatever.”

But he adds; “In the past, you would assume this [acting] to be an extrovert’s game. And a neurodivergent would be more academic. But not now.”

Connor Curren wasn’t, however, a performing child ready to act from the moment he left the womb. When he walked out of Lenzie Academy aged 16 “high school wasn’t my forte” with one Higher in Photography his future wasn’t clear at all.

“I flirted with acting, did supporting acting work in Waterloo Road,” he recalls. Having already taken acting classes at Glasgow Acting Academy to help build confidence (and done stints working in a shop and a call centre) he studied drama at New College in Lanarkshire.

He was then accepted by Birmingham Conservatoire. “Some people may fancy being an actor but then you get into the nitty gritty and that’s when I knew I loved it.”

But where are we with neurodiversity nowadays? Should we be having this conversation? Do we over-examine young people these days in terms of their personality traits and differences?

“Analysing the mind is a great thing,” he suggests. “But so long as we don’t go at it from the angle that we assume there is something wrong with the neurodiverse mind. That’s what we’ve been doing for decades. We’ve been looking at it as something that is wrong, less than, or defective. And we’ve got to avoid preconceptions we have of people who are autistic. For example, Christopher is a character who’s seen to be very good at maths, and I’m not. At all.” He laughs. “I’m not playing myself.”

Curren was diagnosed aged seven. Did this discovery help make life a little easier? “I suppose it did because you learn more of yourself when you are young.”

Were his traits of autism easily discernible? “I don’t want to go too much into my childhood, but there were obsessive repetitive behaviours, attachment to certain objects. Those were the main signs.”

Thankfully, public figures such as Melanie Sykes, who was diagnosed recently with autism, help push the stigma down. “Yes, there will come a time when it won’t be seen as a criticism. Some communities, sadly, still view autism as being defective, something that has to be cured, rather than celebrated.”

What’s extremely likely is that Connor Curren will become a role model for the autistic community. And he has spoken to groups of young people who are neurodiverse, keen to put something back.

For the moment however his ambitions are closer to home. “It will be so great to go back to Glasgow, to have my grandparents come and see me in the theatre. They haven’t been able to see me perform since Covid arrived.”

He adds: “And I get to sleep in my old bed.”

The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-time. The King’s Theatre, Glasgow, April 5-9.

World Autism Acceptance Week runs from March 28 to April 3.