A comedy retelling of Sherlock Holmes’ most famous case
There’s been many a retelling of this classic tale, with fiction’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes, taking on the case of the mysterious and horrific hound that threatens that life of Sir Henry Baskerville. It’s a story rich in drama, horror, passion and mystery, and many a production has made to great effect and with real success. Unfortunately, this latest comic retelling at the Theatre Royal in Bath struggles to maintain the same pedigree.
Now this is a pity as the premise to the production has so much to offer. A comedy retelling featuring just three cast members taking on many roles in a production that was originally created back in 2007 and has enjoyed 150 productions worldwide. And yes, there were a good number of members of the audience last night in Bath who clearly enjoyed the slapstick humour of this version – unfortunately, however, this wasn’t a feeling that echoed throughout this great venue.
The story, of course, is well known, with Holmes and sidekick Watson accompanying Sir Henry to his ancestral home on the Dartmoor to solve the mystery behind the hellish hound. And certainly the impressive backdrop of the moors with the hall in the distance is an excellent focus as the action unfurls.
What’s more, there’s a lot of be said for the energy and enthusiasm that the three actors, Niall Ransome as Holmes, Fred Gray at Dr Watson and Serena Manteghi as Sir Henry, bring to their parts. What’s missing is the originality of the telling and the sophistication of the comedy. While there are sections of the story that are creative and funny – the silent movie style of Watson and Baskerville’s railway journey to Dartmoor was clever and well handled, for example – too much was predictable, overly played and just not that amusing.
I’m afraid that Serena Manteghi in particular was guilty of being way too hammy and relying on exaggerating every speech and movement to a degree that it became both tiresome and indeed often difficult to hear what she was saying. While Ransome and Gray were more effective (and total credit to Gray for standing in at short notice due to illness in the cast), the performances were always going to be let down by a strained and wanting script.
Yes, there was plenty of laughter from the audience, so clearly my lack of satisfaction wasn’t universal. But then, when the gentleman sitting next to me commented at the interval, “Is it just me or does this seem to be somewhat tiresome,” I think he had a good point.
With so many great productions coming up at the Theatre Royal Bath, I look forward to coming back soon. However, sadly on this occasion, The Hound of the Baskervilles was more of a mangy mutt.
The Hound of the Baskervilles runs at the Theatre Royal Bath until 29 January 2022. Tickets are available here.