Sherlock Holmes as you have never seen him before

PETER FELDMAN

Two Jewish members of the theatre fraternity, renowned director. Alan Swerdlow and Robert Fridjhon, have combined their creative forces to come up with an engaging and inventive satirical romp into the world of Sherlock Holmes.

This is one case that the famed detective never wanted mentioned or written about – and after watching the antics on stage, who can really blame him? 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s celebrated fictional detective is given a new sense of purpose in a production that breaks all the rules, a scenario where Monty Python meets the Goons and where anything can and does happen.

It is a weird and wacky pastiche that we enter and any resemblance to the real workings of Conan Doyle are purely coincidental. The props and the scenery are designed for quick changes and wooden benches cleverly double up as a carriage and then a train.

The script, penned by Fridjhon and assisted by Bronwyn Gottwald, is fresh and lively and embraces the key characters who have dominated Arthur Conan Doyle’s numerous books.

They are brought vividly to life by a sinister looking Fridjhon (playing both Holmes and his arch nemesis Moriarty), Craig Jackson (as Dr Watson, Queen Victoria and other entities) and Bronwyn Gottwald (as the faithful housekeeper Mrs Hudson, Irene Adler and Lord and Lady Salisbury among others)

The performers play wonderfully off each other and one can forgive them for occasionally corpsing on stage or the odd line fluff because it all adds to the utter insanity of the piece.

They are having a good time and this transcends to the audience. When the hilarious Craig Jackson emerges as Queen Victoria in full regalia we can only applaud the sheer inventiveness in the costume department. Jackson is an amazingly adept actor and each of the characters he briefly portrays are striking personalities.

The story, briefly, involves the theft of the massive Kohinoor diamond belonging to Queen Victoria. The famed sleuth and Dr Watson are dispatched by Her Royal Majesty to find it. The yarn takes the team to different locations where they eventually encounter the evil Moriarty who holds the key to the mystery.

Director Alan Swerdlow keeps the action brisk. So, if you are looking for a fluffy two-hours of innocuous fun at the theatre this festive season, then this take on Sherlock Holmes is an ideal holiday outing for the whole family and even those without one.