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Theatre Review: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

An inventive and funny remix of Sherlock Holmes stories, improvised from audience suggestions about how the poor victim was offed.

The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesPresented by On The Fly
Reviewed 3 September 2014

Improvisational theatre can go many ways. It can work really well, flowing naturally and remaining amusing throughout, or it can flounder and end up an awkward mess. Of course, many other improv pieces do a little bit of both, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is definitely one of them. The best improv artists can turn mistakes into side-splitting jokes so even if the show falters in some parts, it bounces back in hilariously unexpected ways.

On The Fly have been producing shows since 2008. Their latest piece, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,is an inventive remix of Sherlock Holmes stories. It is entirely unscripted, apart from a series of common events (a shocking murder being the major one, of course!), and so every night’s show will end up a little different.

Before you are seated you are asked to suggest ways that the unfortunate victim might be offed, and the cast use these suggestions to fashion a plot out of thin air. This is a fantastic idea and, when executed well, can create a murder mystery to rival anything on television’s Midsomer Murders. Most of it is nonsensical, but it’s the fun that counts!

I applaud the cast of this performance for their ability to keep cool under pressure. There were a good number of awkward moments, mostly due to the actors beginning to talk over one another by accident, but in general the story flowed well. The standouts of the performance were Watson (Eugene Suleau) and Moriarty (Jarrad Parker), who managed to fill their ever-changing characters with a lot of personality. Parker utilises a droning, sinister voice to portray Moriarty, which makes the infamous villain quite scary. The closest thing I can compare it to is a British version of Javier Bardem from No Country for Old Men.

Noah Tavor also plays his part well, with interesting nuances and quirks thrown into his performance. Paul Gordon as Sherlock definitely seems to have a talent for improv and was the right pick for the character, but he comes off as a little dull compared to the other characters on stage.

As I touched on before, the best comedy often comes out of mistakes, and that is definitely the case in this show. For example, as Sherlock traces the footsteps of Mr Harris (Tavor) he remarks, “Ah yes, this is the size 12 shoe alright,” only for Watson to remind him that Mr Harris only wears size 10. Sherlock reacts in the blink of an eye to correct his mistake: “Oh wait, these are the size 10 ones right next to them. Mr Harris was not walking alone!” It’s interesting to see how a slight misstep can dramatically alter the entire plot and open up new opportunities for laughter.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has only seen its second show, and I think the actors are still warming up. With a bit more energy and momentum, this could prove to be a brilliant little show.

Reviewed by James Rudd

Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide
Season: 3 – 6 September 2014
Duration: 90 minutes including interval
Tickets: $12.00 – $19.00
Bookings: Book online through the Bakehouse Theatre website or tickets at the door if not sold out

 

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