HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES AT THE ARTS THEATRE CAMBRIDGE
The Dynamic Threesome acting their socks off
The Hound of the Baskervilles in the theatre must have felt like a winner from the outset. Conan Doyle’s story has a life of its own, a reputation that outclasses all Sherlock Holmes’ mysteries; a new client ,Sir Henry Baskerville, an ingénu Canadian, consults Holmes and Watson in their Baker Street headquarters. He is the heir to a great estate on Dartmoor whose owner has mysteriously died after a horrifying attack from a dog? Or was it? Worrying enough but worse still , a desperate note from an anonymous ally warns him not to even visit the plac.e Henry though is determined to take up his rightful place in the home of his ancestors.
Unbelievably slick costume changes make this seem a much bigger production .
`Writers John Nicholson and Steven Canny have seen right through this famous story to its thin improbable plot and its superb comic potential. Helped by a cast of super- powered actors, Jake Ferretti as Sherlock, Niall Ransome as Watson and Serena Manteghi as Sir Henry and almost everyone else, the play transforms into a riotous romp of an evening.
This is the most truly theatrical play I have seen for aeons. It is spontaneous and artful in one energetic swoop. The three actors begin with a slew of frank confessions. Up on stage they explain how the idea developed – and establish a mise en scène. Already we are into semi =familiar territory – 39 Steps sent up the heroics of John Buchan to great comic effect. However The Hound of the Baskervilles does rather rush its original story into farce before the audience has time to take it seriously, almost as if the pace is faster than our collective audience imagination can take in. But following this dash to send it up, the play settles down into the remarkable exercise of true satire. Characters emerge in a clever inversion of their TV and storybook reputations. Jake Ferretti is no ordinary Holmes. He exposes the celebrated hero of so many films , recently Benedict Cumberbach’s successful modern interpretation. It emerges, hilariously, that this is an ego maniacal self centred narcissist with a penchant for the limelight. He is in fact every know-all male you’ve ever met. And certainly gives a brilliant over-the-top interpretation of the genius dectective – a trope at the heart of so much crime fiction outside of the famous Holmes stories.
Niall Ransome was a slow burn Watson a feature that propels the second half into a manic re-tread of the first. But he emerges as the true , real trustworthy hero of the play.
Serena Manteghi was utterly brilliant in all her numerous roles – a bit thin as a Scottish gentleman it has to be said – but her amazing energy helps to power this exhausting exhilarating piece into a side splitting comic masterpiece.
Catch it if you can, it’s only on until Saturday. Laughter 100% guaranteed.
The Muddled Dectectives
