The Hound of The Baskervilles

On entry I was warmly greeted by front of house members who were wearing,’ dog ears,’ in the joyous spirit of this play. This production had been very popular with the audiences and so well received, so it was not a surprise to learn that most tickets had been sold, with reservations being taken for any seats that by chance should become available on Saturday, as it was a sellout. Having now seen this play I can say this was amateur theatre at its very best. The Hound of The Baskervilles written by Arthur Conan Doyle is of course an ageless, mysterious thriller, a production with Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson investigating the death of Sir Charles Baskerville. This adaptation by Steve Canny and John Nicholson is an hilarious retelling of the story, packed with fast paced verbal, silly and physical comedy. Every scene was delivered at lightning speed, brimming with madcap fun exuded by just three in the cast. It was clear that this upstaged adaptation would have been challenging for so many reasons, but, the dynamic cast, who took on multi roles, and inventive direction from Rod Bissett delivered this spoof at a frenetic tempo. The cast appeared to enjoy every minute of it, and this proved to be infectious with the sell-out audiences.

The story began with the shocking death of Sir Charles Baskerville (played by Joshua Gallagher), was found in the grounds of his country house, Baskerville Hall, with a look of terror on his face and paw prints of a huge hound beside his body. According to legend, the Baskerville family was hounded by a curse which sees an aggressive dog on the moors, baying for the Baskervilles’ blood. Sherlock Holmes, (played by Gareth May), is tasked with getting to the bottom of the curse before another Baskerville falls victim to the hound. Sherlock’s investigation to unravel the mystery was supported by Dr. Watson (played by Lucy Talbot).

With just three cast members, Joshua Gallagher; Lucy Talbot and Gareth May delivered at an epic tempo the script. These talented performers, dashing here and there with sustained high energy to the very end, were certainly kept on their toes, and there was no room for error or hesitation in delivery. The staging of this play was integral to the successful delivery of this comedy and director, Rod Bissett, clearly ‘smashed it’. It was visual ingenuity, and much consideration and three months of rehearsals had been spent plotting the action and identifying areas for comic opportunity with amazing timing and rapid scene changes using minimal props. Lighting enhanced the atmosphere greatly, and sound was masterfully handled by Stan Vigurs and Rachel Holmes, changes were frequent and right on cue, including the clop of horses, birdsong, creaking gates and the growls of an off-stage hound. The scene depicting a travelling train was dramatic using flashing lighting accompanied by piano rag time music, reminiscent of the silent movies’ era and the key stone cops possibly. Props were minimal but very swiftly placed by a stagehand allowing versatility and helping the audience to be entirely focussed on the story without distraction. Notable points to mention also includes the Tango dance effectively choreographed by Sue Davies, with nifty foot work from both Gareth  and Joshua in their larger than life roles.

The cast applied a variety of different techniques, including mime and body language which allowed the audience to use their imagination. Ultra-fast costume changes also ensured the actors were able to portray multi roles some with physical cavorting and with entrances and stage exits done at lightning speed as well as with boundless energy. This play was so cleverly performed by this carefully chosen trio of actors who worked at breakneck speed changing costumes and bouncing off each other perfectly; switching characters and tripling up as every other character in the story, with seamless ease. There was a lot of ‘coming out of character’, with dialogue directed at the audience to establish a rapport and deliver hilarious comments intended to involve the audience. For example, at the beginning of the second half, the first half of the story was dynamically recapped, after the actors told the audience they had received a hostile tweet during the interval (allegedly from myself they told the audience). It successfully injected a burst of thrilling energy at the start of the second half! The audience was in stitches and was almost left breathless just by following it. In this respect it very much reminded me of another play,’ The Play that Goes Wrong’, and worthy of loud applause.

There were delightful characterisations presented by each of these three actors who brought agility and charm to this production. Gareth May was amazing as the tongue in cheek Sherlock Holmes with impeccable comic timing, and his quirky intense body movements and expressions were reminiscent of John Cleese. Lucy Talbot was captivating in role as the eccentric Dr Watson, with a large moustache and great stage presence. energy and great projection of character. Joshua Gallagher’s performances as both Sir Charles and Sir Henry Baskerville, and numerous smaller roles, were riotous and melodramatic. Joshua is a superb comedy actor, very resourceful, exuding a sense of fun. This was particularly reflected in the scene where all three actors appeared as yokels, very enjoyable to watch. Each actor delivered each line faultlessly with clear diction amidst the frantic, well timed, dashing, about on stage.

This was a remarkable bit of theatre, a talented trio of actors who performed to a professional standard. The entire production was a ‘howling success,’ and congratulations go to Rod as director and to every member of the cast and crew.

Thank you for inviting me.

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