Gripping mystery, slapstick, hilarity, and a dog – this production has it all
Alethea Mouhtouris
4 Stars
Venue: Guild Theatre
Waltz Street Rockdale
Dates: Until 5th September
Gripping mystery, slapstick, hilarity, and a dog – this production has it all. The Guild Theatre shows are always entertaining and fun, and this production continues the tradition.
Written by Tony award winner Ken Ludwig, the show is loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s well-known novel about a beast killing the men of the Baskerville family on the Devonshire moors.
At the heart of this comedic farce sit the eccentric Sherlock Holmes (Nick Roberts) and indefatigable Dr Watson (Kevin Tanner). Both are well cast – Roberts is imperious and aloof, and Tanner plays Watson as a generous and loyal support to his friend.
Both play only their characters, and it’s perhaps this consistency that adds to the comedy of the three ensemble performers – Robert Mason, Luke Leeroy Brown, and Alice Josephine – who, with increasing frenzy – switch in and out of 35 characters. And that means 35 costumes, 35 accents, and 35 distinct personalities. It’s inevitable there’ll be mix-ups, and those become key to the play’s clownery, particularly as the show draws to a conclusion.
All three are engaging, demonstrating excellent comedic timing and solid understanding of the material. Mason is hugely fun as whimsical butterfly chaser Jack Stapleton, ex-convict Victor, and befuddled hotel clerk, generating loud laughter from the audience. Josephine does the same with her speech-impaired Mrs Barrymore, terrified Beryl Stapleton, and scrappy London street urchin Cartwright. Brown makes a terrific Sir Henry Baskerville – a yee haw! Texan – who inherits the estate, as well as ancestor Sir Huge Baskerville, and cocky Scotland Yard investigator.
There are two additional ‘cast members’ and they carry a substantial load – the malevolent Baskerville hound puppet, and the digital screen projections. It’s very clear both the puppet and projections took enormous time to design and create.
The glowing-eyed puppet, managed by the backstage crew, is creepy and many audience members oohed as it ‘walked’ onto the stage.
Meanwhile, the projections place each scene in its relevant setting, covering almost 30 locations including the desolate moor, the Royal Opera House, 221B Baker St, Paddington Station, and Baskerville Hall. This allows for a minimal but effective set design – brick-painted walls, part of the Tor (rocky mountain top), a couple of chairs. These are all manipulated to represent different environments. The living room chairs, for example, turn into opera seats simply by angling them, with the projection behind showing the inside of the opera house. This clever approach also frees the performers to fully inhabit the stage. No space is wasted.
Director Tim Dennis has done an excellent job of wrangling this complex script and storyline, keeping everyone on track, and producing such an entertaining piece of theatre. The show attended by this reviewer lacked a little energy in Act 1 but recovered superbly in Act 2, and audience members responded with guffaws, cheers, and groans.
I have a soft spot for the Guild – show members carry multiple responsibilities – and it’s only because of their commitment that local theatre can continue. As a community we would be worse off without these theatre devotees, so support them where you can. It’s an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours this winter.
Alethea Mouhtouris, Theatre Now
