Sherlock Holmes and The Sign of Four – Leeds School of Arts

Original Writer: Arthur Conan Doyle

Composer/Librettist: Lliam Paterson

Director: David Ward

Conductor: Ellie Slorach

The Northern Opera Group (not to be confused with Opera North) stages a Leeds Opera Festival each year, consisting of a number of imaginative events and one or two opera productions in Leeds School of Arts. There is no predicting the style of opera, except that it will be something unusual, and this year the Northern Opera Group has scored a triumph with an adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of the Four. Astonishingly this is the first time a Holmes story has been adapted as an opera.

Lliam Paterson’s adaptation cleverly uses the beginning ofA Study in Scarletto introduce the meeting of Holmes and Watson, just returned from Afghanistan with a hefty limp (soon forgotten, probably wisely), and their sharing of rooms at 221b, Baker Street. It follows the original complicated tale of the mysterious East pretty closely, with Dr Watson rather more proactive than sometimes – and, of course, he falls in love with Mary Morstan, proposes and is to move out of Baker Street, much to Holmes’ annoyance. The witty ending has him putting on overcoat and hat and being about to leave when a new client arrives – overcoat back on rack! Readers of the later short stories will recollect a remarkable eagerness to desert his medical post as soon as Holmes comes calling.

Then there is David Ward’s production, never slow to pick up humour, but creating mystery whenever possible. The orchestra are placed stage right behind a screen decorated with elegant buildings, the main stage empty except for furniture brought on scene by scene, but the whole thing derives a lot from the lighting and use of silhouettes. Any caricature is avoided; instead we have improvised versions of cab rides (the horse conveyed by wood blocks and the occasional whinny) and a desperate boat chase, surprisingly thrilling. A word, too, for the fluffy dog puppet who forms a neat double act with Dr Watson.

Lliam Paterson’s music is arresting from the off, the vigorous violin accompaniment pitching us straight into the drama of the action. But Paterson has a range far beyond that, with charmingly understated love songs and a recurrent feature that occurs throughout, repeated present participles built into a meditation or recollection. The small orchestra under Ellie Slorach is outstanding, the percussionist punctuating the action vibrantly and the bass clarinet a key voice throughout.

The cast of seven, except Holmes and Watson, vividly bring to life a variety of parts – police inspector, Mrs Hudson, one-legged veteran of the Indian service, the usual impedimenta of a Holmes mystery – with Dominic Mattos wonderfully haunted as Mary’s mysterious benefactor, Thaddeus Sholto. Ellen Mawhinney simply needs to project the Victorian ideal of devoted womanhood in acting and singing – and does so very well. David Horton’s Watson, much more an equal partner despite his unfailing admiration for Holmes, relishes the odd touch of humour such as the whizzbang summary of a busy day’s sleuthing. Holmes is a figure both of dignity and of unconventionality (resorting to cocaine when bored) in Ed Hawkins’ portrayal and enjoys fooling Watson and Inspector Athelney Jones with his all too convincing disguise as an old mariner.

This is the sort of show of which people say, “Conan Doyle would have enjoyed it” – and they’re probably right, enjoyment being the key word.

Runs until 31st August 2024