“A very pretty little mystery”
Adapted for stage by Nick Lane, Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four, is an intriguing, gripping and adept drama.
This play includes all the things we have come to enjoy with the Sherlock Holmes franchise – adventure, romance and even some comedy.
It opens with Sherlock bored, restless, and testing his friend and assistant Dr John Watson’s patience, when the beautiful Mary Morstan arrives at just the right time, with just the right problem in need of a solution.
All six cast members are incredibly versatile, each playing a number of different characters and several musical instruments! The use of live music is perhaps the most creative part of this production with the background score blending uniquely into the simple yet flexible stage setting. The recognisable music really gets you ready for the mystery to come, and the familiar patter of Holmes himself alongside the gentle repartee he trades with Watson is reassuringly satisfying.
Light relief is provided in the form of self-important Inspector Jones and the anxious Thaddeus Sholto, raising most of the laughs from the audience. A tense boat race leading to a revealing final third (though confusing and convoluted in places) provides a pleasing conclusion. There is a reason why these characters are interpreted time and time again, and Blackeyed Theatre have done a great job with this compelling production.
“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
A good old fashioned mystery.
Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four is playing at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne from April 30 – May 4th. Book your tickets here.
Raspberry Sunday 