Prepare yourself for an evening of murder, intrigue and… laughter! Kanata Theatre’s most recent production of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery takes the classic tale of Sherlock Holmes and gives it a campy, comedic twist.
Although it seems an unlikely combination on paper, the show successfully infuses the classic Victorian-era tale of London’s greatest detective with jokes lifted straight from Monty Python and Young Frankenstein, offering a campy and entertaining evening.
(L-R): Elizabeth Foulds Rodgers, Gordon Wall and Sarah Hearn in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Photo by Alex Henkelman.
Elizabeth Foulds Rodgers portrays Sherlock Holmes with an energetic and enthusiastic disposition, replacing the character’s usual arrogance with a more convivial energy, while still maintaining the sharp intellect and obsessive intensity that characterize the iconic detective.
Sarah Hearn’s Doctor Watson brought a more stoic and steadfast energy to the stage. Her narrative monologues provided a sobering counterpart to the rest of the play’s comedic highjinx, keeping the piece grounded in 1890s London and driving the plot forward.
The other 38 characters of the play were portrayed by only three actors—an impressive feat which requires the actors to be able to move quickly between scenes and characters.
(L-R): Gordon Walls, Sarah Hearn, Elizabeth Foulds Rodgers and Paul Arbour in Baserville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Photo by Alex Henkelman.
Paul Arbour, Gordon Walls and Jenny Pfitzer proved themselves more than up to the task, changing their characters and costumes with perfect timing throughout the entire performance, and each displaying an impressive range of accents and hilariously exaggerated characterizations. By leaning in to camp and silliness, their characters power the comedic energy of the show and keep the audience hooked from the first scene, ready for the next punchline.
The set is simple enough—a couple of chairs in Sherlocks’ study, a castle wall and painted backdrop serve for the many different locations of the play. Characters often appear on scene with props that add to the set, such as a concierge who has his entire desk attached to himself.
(L-R): Jenny Pfitzer, Paul Arbour and Gordon Walls in Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Photo by Alex Henkelman.
Characters occasionally pop out of windows to provide additional laughs to a scene, and the fog machine is used quite liberally to evoke the streets of London and the moors of Devon alike. The physical humour was well timed and well executed, and there were some great prop gags. I particularly enjoyed the red herring.
Lighthearted, funny and entertaining, this play offers an enjoyable night out to all who attend.
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery is playing at the Kanata Theatre until May 25. For more information visit Kanata Theatre’s website, and for tickets, click here.
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