THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Poison Wood - The Musical' (Watermill Theatre, Newbury)

 

Book and Lyrics: P Burton-Morgan.

Music and Lyrics: Ben Glasstone.

 
I originally saw this new British Musical from Metta Theatre (in a cutdown form) at The Other Palace as part of MTFest 2023 in February 2023. Burton-Morgan and Glasstone have written two previous musicals together – ‘The Rhythmics’ (about an all-male Rhythmic Gymnastics Team) and ‘Cells’ (a musical film starring Clive Rowe in which two strangers’ lives become unexpectedly intertwined) – and this represents their partnership’s take on another partnership, Holmes and Watson – adapting Sherlock Holmes into a contemporary rock musical.

The scene is set in London 2028, where part-time detective Sherlock Holmes is shredding away on his electric guitar, when his landlady, professional nutritionist and blogger (on food and Holmes’ cases) Dr. Amanda Watson interrupts him with a case – a poisoning at the infamous environmental protest camps in Oakenwood. They must move fast to uncover the truth before the deepfakes and digital manipulations of their arch nemesis, tech billionaire and international potato magnate, Jan Moriarty, get them cancelled…permanently.

The Watermill is a wonderful theatre, and I was sitting upstairs towards the back of the Circle. It turned out that I had booked for the Relaxed Performance which also featured surtitles. However, by sitting up in my seat I could use the venue’s roof to obscure these as I was finding them distracting. Flicking through the programme, I was pleased to see that Gillian Kirkpatrick and Richard P. Peralta, who I saw in the MTFest version as Jan Moriarty and Marlon Lestrade, were reprising their roles. Holmes was being played by Dylan Wood and Watson by Me’Sha Bryan.

The show opens with two of its stronger numbers, ‘The Truth’ and the ridiculously catchy ‘Elementary’ both sung by Holmes and Watson, before allowing the returning cast members to shine in ‘The Joy on My Tongue’ (Lestrade) and ‘Control’ (Moriarty). The leads then got their own individual songs, before Em Williams as non-binary activist Yorri held us all entranced in her performance of ‘Flower’, before the shocking end of Act 1. The script was very witty, and the patron next to me seemed to be laughing throughout, even on occasion on his own. All the songs were very catchy, and the back projections and a versatile desk, cupboard and chair portrayed a series of locations very effectively.

Act 2 featured mainly reprises, but also included the excellent ensemble number ‘The Game is Afoot’. A chase across London was well realised, and all too soon the amazing cast were taking their bows, and I was having to shuffle out of the theatre, scanning a Spotify code to access the Studio Cast Recording (featuring Eleventh Doctor companion, Arthur Darvill, as Holmes) to listen to on my journey back to Newbury Station.       

Very, very highly recommended. Who do I need to hassle to get a tour ? 

Rating:  (5/5)    

Links:  Sherlock Holmes and the Poison Wood — Metta Theatre

Studio Cast Recording    (featuring Arthur Darvill)

THEATRE REVIEW: ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Fiend' (Barn Theatre, Cirencester)

Written by Toby Hulse & Ross Smith,  Directed by Adam Meggido.

 

This comedy play with a slightly satirical bite posits that 19th-century tabloid press sensationalised the crimes of Jack the Ripper to such a degree that they turned the mysterious serial killer into a monstrous fiction. Arguing that “it takes a fiction to catch a fiction” who better to investigate the Murders than the ultimate fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. Therefore, visitors to the Barn Theatre in Cirencester find themselves immersed in an adventure in which Conan Doyle's fictional Victorian London, one where Cockneys – without fail – stick their thumbs in their lapels and perambulate solely by means of the Lambeth Walk, collides with the 1888 Whitechapel Murders, with regular cutaways to modern Ripper ‘experts’.

The pre-publicity describes it as a hilarious mix of Basil Rathbone, ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ and ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’ (presumably the Patrick Barlow version), combined with the style of Netflix True Crime documentaries, alongside the technical wizardry of the Barn with back projections playing an important part, as well as not just one, but two separate pits in the stage. I therefore attended the anti-penultimate performance.

Having adapted ‘Around The World In Eighty Days’ for three actors at the same venue at the start of 2023, writer Toby Hulse is joined by Ross Smith, for this comic narrative, in which the four actors regularly change roles, so everyone (eventually) gets to play Sherlock, Watson, Lestrade, Mrs Hudson, and other supporting characters. All four were splendid, but I would wish to single out the lovely Chloe Tannenbaum, the youngest of the four, who it seemed would never get her turn as the Great Detective, being forever being pushed out of the way when she reached for the Deerstalker, and finding herself playing the majority of the supporting characters, including most of Charles Dickens’ most famous characters in one London street scene. I also enjoyed the stuffed ‘Giant Rat of Sumatra’ which featured in several moments. The script was full of running jokes, fourth-wall breaking, and the fictional identity of the Ripper was well realised (even if predicted by myself halfway through Act 1). Direction by Adam Meggido (‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’, ‘Showstopper! The Improvised Musical’) was also excellent with him using his experience with physical comedy to full effect.

Very good. 

 

Rating:  (4/5)