Based on the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Writer & Director: Nick Lane
Reviewer: Dominic Corr
Missing jewels, murder, romance and a chap with a wooden leg. If it wasn’t Sherlock Holmes, it would have to be something equally as impossible. Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four has our residents of Baker Street encounter Watson’s future wife Mary Morstan as they hunt for treasure, clues and the truth.
So recognisable, playing Sherlock Holmes is demonstrably difficult. We all know them; we all have a favourite. It’s a challenge Luke Barton certainly does not shy from. His Holmes is energetic, more so than many. He has a charm, a warmth unfamiliar with some portrayals and a command which wouldn’t be questioned by any character on stage. Overall his Holmes has elements of a classic, yet fresh-faced Holmes hungry for more. The issue though, in no fault of Barton is that this Holmes has been written quite immortal. There’s no folly, nothing which pricks a hole in his character. We don’t doubt this Holmes can solve the case. He isn’t overly curious like Vasily Livanov’s Holmes or has the detached sociopathic failings of the recent Cumberbatch.
Holmes is nothing without Dr Watson, though he would be loathed to admit it. Here we are no different, with a tremendous amount of the production’s success owed to Joseph Derrington. He has an innate likability; we connect quicker with Watson than we do Holmes – as we should. His comedic timing as our storyteller is spot on, breaking the chunks of dense narrative to ease our minds.
So, what of the mystery itself? Adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second novel focused around the Detective of Baker Street, The Sign of Four is far from straightforward. It requires a lot of exposition, time and narrative shifts but attempts to make up for this amidst an emphasis on adventure. Blackeyed Theatre succeeds in retelling a faithful version of events, still branding it with their own take. The final fifteen minutes, however, the motivation behind the crime edges on length, almost stretching into the pages of a different story entirely.
From the sharp peaks of the London steeples to the rounded carvings of Indian turrets – Victoria Spearing’s set design is enthralling. At first, it appears sharp, hollow but serving its purpose. What appears to just be backdrop though, unfolds twisting into a variety of locales. When cast in distinctive lighting, the unfriendly grey of London mellows into the richness of India. It’s a resourceful design which works not only with physical movement but with the tech of the production itself.
What first seems to be an inherent advantage for Blackeyed Theatre is the original composition by Tristian Parkes. It allows for a sense of freshness. We are treated to live performances from cast members currently not on stage. Though of course *ahem* gifted with young Sherlock’s early attempts to master his Stradivarius, his signature violin. With light notes they convey a wisp of time floating around Holmes’ deduction. To the soft strings of the continents, this all helps with world building. That said, the brass instrumentals, in particular, the trombone, hit heavily in a smaller venue, casting any other instrumentals aside.
No matter what the future may hold for us, Sherlock Holmes is likely to always sit at the heart of mystery lovers across the world. Blackeyed Theatre has prevailed in putting their stamp onto the deerstalker, with an atmospheric production with no short supply of talented individuals – even with the intricate plot points and lengthy climax.
Reviewed on 26 April 2019 | Continues touring