Detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Doctor Watson have been through several transformations over the years: the BBC’s Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman vehicle, Hollywood adaptions starring Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, and other TV movies seeking to put their stamp on Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary creation. According to Guinness World Records, the Victorian detective is the most depicted human literary character throughout film and TV history.
With 56 original short stories and four novels, not to mention works by other authors adopting the character, does the world really want to see more of the man from 221B Baker Street? Apparently so. The Valley Of Fear is another Sherlock Holmes adaption brought to you by Blackeyed Theatre (following on from their success with The Sign Of Four), based on Doyle’s novel of the same name. Adapted and directed by Nick Lane and staring just five actors, each taking it in turn to play between two and five characters each, their acting skills are stretched to the limit as they embody different accents, postures and even walks.
Joseph Derrington, for example, seamlessly shifts between Doctor Watson, Thad Morris and Eldon Singer – his trademark limp quickly abandoned as needed – whilst also narrating parts of the play, setting the scene for the audience, making up for the limits of a theatre’s purview. The other performances are great too, and Luke Barton, playing Sherlock Holmes, embodies him terrifically: his straight-laced edge also contains a dry wit that evokes occasional laughter from the audience.
As far as creativity, acting ability and writing go, The Valley Of Fear is delivered with the utmost skill and integrity. But herein lies the rub, as the old adage states, taste is the enemy of art! As a stage play heavily based on dialogue, and lacking in spectacle, it arguably rewards only the most patient of theatregoers. That they are ready-made Sherlock Holmes fans may also prove to be an important part of the equation.
For those wanting something a bit more immediate – a play for the ‘sit back, relax and enjoy the show’ types – then The Valley Of Fear can come across as a challenge to cognitive endurance. Difficult to follow, and lacking thrills, it’s akin to staring over someone’s shoulder watching them tackle a complex algebraic puzzle – clever, but not necessarily entertaining.
Furthermore, there is little variation, scene by scene, in the set design to transport the viewer to the plays’ various locations. Rather, a desk brought on here or a series of boxes strategically set up there are among the limited props used to mix things up. One scene has characters sit on boxes facing one another to depict their train journey, whilst the show’s lighting serves as a simple device to black out certain parts of the stage – either to help focus the viewer or differentiate night from day.
Such simple techniques are used well, but with the show being so monotone in nature, more is arguably needed to jolt the audience to attention. Whilst there are some action scenes involving firearms and brawls, this slow-burn cerebral affair may well appeal to a niche audience but is likely too cold a shoulder for the mainstream.
Sherlock Holmes – The Valley Of Fear, New Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 24 May
words OLIVER R. MOORE-HOWELLS
Q&A: Luke Barton on playing Sherlock Holmes
Were you a fan of Sherlock Holmes prior to this role?
Yes – I think like many people my age, I was introduced to the Holmes stories through the BBC series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. I started reading the stories after this, on my commute to work and found them really engaging.
Did you and Joseph Derrington do anything offstage to develop your relationship as Holmes and Watson?
I wouldn’t say we actively did – we just naturally and organically found an instant rapport and friendliness. Joe is a very generous soul, on and offstage, but as one half of a relationship as famous and complex as Holmes and Watson, it’s been a gift to work with someone who I think approaches it from the same perspective as I do: how does this serve the scene? How do we make this relationship tell a particular story about these characters at this moment? What is my role in this relationship, and how do I bring that to life for my fellow performer?
What do you think is Holmes’ quirkiest personality trait or habit?
Probably his passion for the puzzles he is tasked with solving. Because that is what he sees them as: puzzles. This of course leads him to treat them dispassionately but also to occasionally forget that these mysteries and problems relate to real human beings who are invested in them and who care deeply about the result, especially where it involves murder.
This can turn him into the automaton that he is so often described as. But for me, in this story, I wanted to explore how far a puzzle or case might test this for Holmes, how far Holmes might feel emotionally connected to a case, and how far a case impacts Holmes personally rather than simply intellectually.
In a world of superheroes with new-fangled gadgets and powers, do you think Holmes benefits from makeovers – as with Sherlock and when played by Robert Downey Jr – or is he best left as he is, preserved in time?
I think makeovers are key to the longevity of a character like Holmes – and to remember that a makeover or update must remain true to the original material, otherwise, it loses its heart and becomes something new, which always makes me think “Why didn’t you just write your own?” The BBC adaptation was written by avid Holmes fans, so it played around with the stories and characters while remaining firmly rooted in the books and devoted to their essence.
In an age of numerous forms of multimedia, what unique and important aspects do you feel theatre still has to offer? Furthermore, is it merely entertainment, or is there some greater purpose afoot?
The uniqueness of theatre is its liveness. The theatre is unique in that it is organic, natural and dependent on the energy brought by both audience and performer every night. Different audiences bring a new energy: each crowd, across different evenings and towns and cities, all respond differently and connect in different ways to the play. This is something that I find fascinating and the real joy of theatre over TV and film. Theatre relies on the audience and the actors delving into the fiction together, and this is the real magic because it is always different.
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