THEATRE REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear

 THEATRE REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Adapted by Nick Lane
Directed by Nick Lane.  

An adaptation of the final Holmes novel by the same production company (Blackeyed Theatre) that I had previously seen tackle ‘The Sign of Four’ in 2018, this was the first stage adaptation that I had seen live  (I saw an American production online). The same core trio were involved – Luke Barton as Holmes, Joseph Derrington as Watson, and adapter/director Nick Lane. Touring the country, I decided to watch it at the only London date of the tour, Greenwich Theatre. Therefore, having spent the day photographing all parts of the nearby Old Royal Naval College which appear in multiple Sherlockian (and non-Sherlockian) TV and film productions, I made my way to the theatre, again purchasing both a programme and a playscript.

‘The Valley of Fear’ is one of the two Sherlock Holmes novels (along with ‘A Study in Scarlet’) that is in two books, the first featuring Holmes and Watson solving a crime, leading to a surprise capture of the criminal, then a second book covering the back-story that led to the events investigated, featuring an American organisation gone bad (in ‘ASIS’ the Mormons, and in ‘TVOF’ the Freemasons, here renamed the Scowrers). It is also the one novel to feature Professor Moriarty, albeit in a limited role.

In relation to these two points, Nick Lane’s adaptation sensibly utilises what he terms a ‘shuffled deck’ approach, alternating the two narratives. The only downside to this approach is that he ends up having two denouements one after another. He also slightly increases Moriarty’s involvement, with a newly imagined first meeting between Holmes and the Professor in an Art Gallery, prior to that mentioned in ‘The Final Problem’.

As with their earlier drama, the production involved lots of doubling up with five actors playing a total of twenty-two characters between them across the two narratives, and also being responsible for rearranging the stage furniture between scenes. All five were excellent, with Barton’s excitable Holmes again being a highlight, and Derrington’s Watson again a strong support, getting laughs without being an imbecile.

So, did the structure work ?  Listening to fellow theatre goers on the way out, some did seem a little confused. Also, several seemed to believe that Moriarty had been added to the novel by the dramatist, feeling that his involvement was unnecessary, and just there to make for a more exciting end to both Acts One and Two. I must admit that I take their point, and at this point in the story, Moriarty is a guiding presence, rather than a character that should appear in person.   

Definitely worth catching if it comes to a theatre near you.   (Click here for tour dates)

Rating:    (4/5)