Sir Henry Baskerville (a wonderful Mark Beauchamp) returns from overseas to say his household heritage after the suspicious dying of his uncle. He has inherited Baskerville Corridor, however has he additionally inherited the household curse? Set in opposition to the eerie backdrop of the moors, we comply with Sherlock Holmes (Tom Thornhill) and Dr. Watson (SP Howarth, additionally glorious) as they examine the legend of a supernatural hound haunting the Baskerville household. Paul Winterford performs a number of roles with spectacular accent work, Emma Riches too performs a number of roles; first a giddy delight within the small function of Cartwright, Holmes’ messenger, and later in…
Score
Good
Sturdy staging and a recreation forged make for an entertaining night on the wild moors.
Sir Henry Baskerville (a wonderful Mark Beauchamp) returns from overseas to say his household heritage after the suspicious dying of his uncle. He has inherited Baskerville Corridor, however has he additionally inherited the household curse? Set in opposition to the eerie backdrop of the moors, we comply with Sherlock Holmes (Tom Thornhill) and Dr. Watson (SP Howarth, additionally glorious) as they examine the legend of a supernatural hound haunting the Baskerville household.
Paul Winterford performs a number of roles with spectacular accent work, Emma Riches too performs a number of roles; first a giddy delight within the small function of Cartwright, Holmes’ messenger, and later within the extra severe function of Beryl Stapleton, a neighbour of Baskerville Corridor.
Director Andrew Hobbs makes excellent use of the small house, with the stage and theatre doorways making for entrances and exits, and forged members hiding by the wall and even dodging boots thrown from offstage. Watson’s narration is especially efficient, supported by lighting design from Matthew Karmios, which makes use of modifications in lighting to immediate Watson to step ahead and fill in particulars of transition to the subsequent scene.
The night is accompanied by music composed and carried out by Alistair Smith (who additionally performs a few very minor characters) and this provides to the environment all through. In such a small house, I had puzzled how they’d handle the hound itself, and the reply is: merely and really nicely. A mix of sound and lightweight, with a freeze and time slowdown from the forged is tremendously efficient, the crimson mild instantly making us consider the demonic eyes of hellhound. A fog machine fills in for the moors, once more easy however profitable. The costumes are all efficient, Watson and Sir Henry in dapper fits, and an impressed replace to maintain using Holmes’ well-known pipe – a pipe vape!
Good decisions and nicely thought out staging enhances a forged who’re clearly dedicated. There’s a sense of camaraderie between them and an environment of enjoyable always. A second the place a corpse leaves the stage however bumps into viewers members supplies heat amusement for each viewers and forged, and a light-weight scene of an viewers member turning into a Baskerville portrait is a deal with for all. With two hour-long halves, Baskervilles runs slightly bit too lengthy and trimming down one or two subplots, to up the tempo just a bit, would profit the present whereas nonetheless doing justice to Arthur Conan Doyle’s work.
I just lately moved fairly near the Bridge Home Theatre and several other buddies got here with me to see this. Afterwards, the instant and unanimous response was that this was quite a lot of enjoyable. The British Touring Shakespeare workforce have captured the intrigue and the thriller you’d count on from a Sherlock Holmes story and made for a most entertaining night – the sport could be very a lot afoot!
Directed by Andrew Hobbs
Written by Arthur Conan Doyle
Tailored by Andrew and David Hobbs
Lighting Design by Matthew Karmios
Sound Design, unique music composed and carried out by Alistair Smith
The Hound has completed its run at Bridge Home Theatre. It returns as part of British Touring Shakespeare Summer season Open Air Season 2023, additional particulars might be discovered right here.
