The Hound of the Baskervilles

Did I want to miss the VE Day 80th Concert from Horse Guards Parade, not particularly. Did I have a good evening’s entertainment instead? Did I laugh? Well, when I was asked in the bar afterwards did I enjoy the show, there was silence before I answered ‘I have not laughed so much watching a play’. I then said I am not saying anything else until you get my review. However, my very first question to co-director Liam was, how did you go about co-directing that play? Did I hear him say he cried for an hour?

This was a frantic gallop through the classic Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes’s mystery and I do mean frantic. This hilarious chaos was performed by three talented actresses, who between them portrayed a total of fourteen characters. Who to start with, maybe Holly White who throughout the show portrayed Dr J Watson, except when she was a Yokel. This meant that she was virtually on stage the whole time, the one benefit for her was the lack of frantic costume changes. She gave us a new view of Dr Watson although much in line with the character created by Conan Doyle, an impressive performance. Now if you want facial contortions, multiple accents and wonderful physicality who better to call upon than Jo Sherry whether being happily sacred to death or being a wise yokel. Possibly the most frantic costume changes were enacted by Louise McGuirke who not only gave us Sherlock Holmes but played both Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore and also Cecille Stapleton and her brother Stapleton.

You might ask why I haven’t written more about each actress; this is because the comments below applied equally to this talented trio. They had an excellent on-stage connectivity and the rapport between the three of them was evident with the physicality of their involvement with each other whether it be riding along on a train or taxi cab, a dying Pony. Movement as an elderly butler, representing different family portraits, crossing a moor surrounded by ‘swirling fog’. The quick changes between costumes and characters, especially for Louise, how she knew whether she was Cecille Stapleton or her brother Stapleton I’m not sure. The ease with which these three slipped between accents and stature was great to see and hear. Their vocal projections and intonations were really very good, sound was excellent, physical and mental agility between roles superb. I do congratulate the co-directors on their casting of these actresses. The timing and comedy were spot on, especially when they re-ran the whole of Act 1 in 10 minutes at the start of Act 2 – hilarious. Their comedy throughout the whole show was great.

Debbie Nixon had done a great job with costumes and there was a lovely supply of facial hair and wigs which helped define the characters and although this was a play the effects from elements of Choreography by Melissa Middleton added to the overall effect.

Props and set were well designed, stage right being in effect Holmes’s apartment and stage left being the Baskerville home with stage centre being used for everything else, railway carriage, Dartmoor and more, good lighting design and sound.

This was most definitely not a show to miss if you like comedy and a good laugh. Virtually first time play directors Liam and Ewan can be rightly proud of this production together with their three actresses and back stage team.

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