Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Last Laugh

Soup Productions were back on stage with their production of ‘Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Last Laugh’, a new Sherlock Holmes story written in-house by Mike Pirks, with it being directed by Ruth Gosney, who is making her directorial debut. The writing from Mike was good, and he handled the twists and turns of the story well. The storyline was clear, allowing the audience to follow the plot. The staging was good, and there was a good use of the split stage, with the upper level being used for interior scenes. The dressing for Sherlock’s house was backdrops of books with appropriate furniture to present this location. A backdrop of windows overlooking a garden was used for the Abbington home, suggesting their wealth and social standing. Scene changes for these were done behind a curtain. There was one scene change where the Baker Street gang covered it by interacting with the audience. This felt out of place, as it pulled the audience out of the story and affected the pace of the production. The pace in the scenes was generally good, with different entrances being used. This helped to keep the momentum of the production. There was some good characterisation from the cast, and it was clear Ruth had worked well with them to get these characters across. The costumes were good, and helped transport the audience to the Victorian period. The costumes helped to convey character. From the black dress of Lady Meridan to the colourful waistcoat of Sherlock.

The cast wore microphones throughout, which helped with the audibility of the cast. Other sound effects were sourced and cued well. The lighting design was good, and helped create atmosphere throughout.

Matt Orrillard took on the role of Sherlock Holmes. This was a great performance from Matt, taking on this famous detective. There was an eccentricity to Matt’s performance, which really worked for the character. Matt was at ease with the script, confidently delivering great swathes of dialogue. Matt has an engaging stage presence, and your eye was drawn to him throughout.

Harry Twining impressed as John Watson, and he worked well with Matt as his counterpart. Harry had a good stage presence, and created a well-rounded character. The secondary storyline of his relationship with Mary was nicely developed throughout, and the audience were willing for a happy ending between them both.

Andy Kenny did well as Inspector Lestrade. He was very comfortable on the stage. Perhaps there could have been more urgency in his portrayal to help push the conflict of the production.

Jayne Dittrich played Lady Meridan. This was a complex character and Jayne attacked it well, playing the multi-faceted character. There were changes in the character as Jayne showed a grieving widow and a patient at the asylum, before revealing her true self. Jayne created a wholly believable character.

Klaudia Kirkpatrick (Mira Abbington) and Josh Hopson (Troy Abbington) worked well together as these sinister siblings. The sudden changes in character from both were well played, and they created two nasty characters.

Hayley Fulcher played Mary Morstan. This was a solid performance from Hayley, showing a caring side of the character in her interactions with Lady Meridan. The loving looks she gave to Watson throughout showed her true feelings towards him.

Lesley Hall provided some comic relief as Mrs Hudson. This was an enjoyable performance from Lesley, delivering her comic lines with aplomb.

Other roles were played by Michelle Drinkwater (Penny Mobbs and Police Officer), Jo Preston (Nurse and Old Betsy), Josh Gosney (Victor), Lisa Rhodes (Dixey), Marcus Cameron (Vicar and Silas), Corynne Dittrich (Miss Uma), and Marilyn Baxter (Newspaper Seller and Police Officer). All created credible characters and performed their roles well.

Overall, this was a good production. There were some very good performances, the direction was good, and the staging was good.

A big thank you to everyone at Soup Productions for their kind invite and hospitality.

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