The play centers on Sherlock Holmes (Nathan Hough) and Dr. John Watson (Rick Bryant) investigating the murder of a theatre critic named Jonathan McCarthy. As a theatre critic myself in the audience, I felt both an involuntary shiver and sense of sympathy. Surely, negative reviews can’t be the motive for murder. Or can they? Hough and Bryant both do an admirable job with these illustrious characters. They uphold the traditional Holmes/Watson dynamic. Holmes hovers on the obsessive neurotic, and Watson provides a calming medical perspective without either one lapsing into predictable stereotypes.
Rick Bryant as Dr. Watson and Nathan Hough as Sherlock Holmes
Despite what becomes a double murder investigation, the play strives for a light-hearted tone and whimsical moments. Director Marcus Muzopappa inserts a number of sound effects, such as the immediately recognizable instrumental from The Addams Family. The effect is humorous, resulting in perplexed upward glances from the cast. It’s as if they’re living life on the stage, and “voice of god” musical interludes puzzlingly insert themselves.
The play is packed with real-life literary and theatrical characters ranging from the famously flamboyant Irish playwright Oscar Wilde (Darrin Friedman) to now lesser-known stars like 19th-century Shakespearean stage actress Ellen Terry (Bethany Peternel). Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (John Herrmann) first brings McCarthy’s case to Holmes and Watson. Friedman captures the flirtatious, outspoken spirit of Wilde with dramatic hair and coattail tosses and a penchant for whispered gossip. Peternel plays Terry with an affable love as she dotes on Dr. Watson. At one point, Holmes notes that Shaw tries to hide his Irish accent. However, Herrmann plays Shaw with a commendable Irish brogue, making that observation a bit out of sync.
Darrin Friedman, Nathan Hough, Rick Bryant, Kauleen Cloutier, John Herrmann, and Joe Eberle
The play doesn’t shy away from addressing more serious topics, such as racial discrimination. An Indian man, Achmed Singh (Arjun Kumar), is accused of one of the murders: that of a white woman. Holmes’ desire to solve the case is accentuated by his belief Singh is innocent. Achmed’s affection for the murdered woman provides sufficient motive for his imprisonment, and Kumar captures the heartache of biracial love. However, the play thoughtfully avoids decrying universals. Humans are complicated creatures with complex motives. Holmes wants to prove Singh innocent, yet Holmes is also complicit in masking significant details of the murders. No one is simply hero or a villain, and Muzopappa doesn’t shy away from confronting these complex layers.
By the end, Shaw is disturbed by the unsettling train of events and the wretched nature of human character that’s been revealed. He notes he “wants to retreat to a world of words.” It’s the 19th century equivalent of wanting to watch kitten videos after glimpsing some of humanity’s dark side. The play ends with a neat bow as Watson ties up any loose ends by highlighting each character’s fate. The catalog litany of everyone’s outcome isn’t addictive and feels a bit tacked on, so it’s hard not to get mildly impatient. After all, like Shaw, we collectively itch for a palate-cleansing kitten video to counter the reveal of people’s capacity for evil in the West End horrors.
The Little Lake Theatre Company’s production of Sherlock Holmes and the West End Horror continues through October 27th. Learn more about this show and Little Lake Theatre’s 70th anniversary season on their website where you can also purchase tickets. http://www.littlelake.org
Tiffany Raymond has her PhD in 20th century American drama from the University of Southern California where her research focused on labor and social protest theatre. She also has two master’s degrees, one from the University of Southern California and one from the University of Tennessee. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her family. In addition to being a theatre nerd, she’s also a tech geek, avid reader and occasional half-marathon runner.
Categories: Archived Reviews