The Hound of the Baskervilles

Some literary and theatrical legends have been around so long, it won’t damage the essence of the mystery if they are played about with. So is the case with Sherlock Holmes’ mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles. With a comedic, spoofy reworking by Steven Canny & John Nicholson, The Hound was chosen by Hobart Repertory Theatre as a drawcard for audiences as a good way to give the public lots of laughs. Director Scott Hunt loves the comedy genre, and with three experienced actors playing multiple roles (17!), numerous scene and costume changes, and rampant madness, laughs is what we got.

Only the most pure of purists could fail to be entertained by this funny and inventive take on one of the great archetypes of English literature. An audience needs to let go of belief and give themselves up to this cheeky adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes style. Our willingness to suspend belief was aided by funny lines coming thick and fast, and three well-rehearsed actors who obviously enjoyed the silliness and the challenge of puncturing an icon for the sake of laughs.

Comedy came in the fastness and silliness, with the help of technical support – strobe lights, smoke and mist, suspended props and sets and sound effects. Unfortunately, the best laid plans, etc. and the most rehearsed productions can go awry as happened at the interval, creating a technical problem for the second half, in the show I saw. Lights that had been working perfectly up until that moment crashed. Can you imagine the backstage mayhem, adding to the job of stage managers and production staff?

This is where the genius of the slapstick script and experienced actors came into its own. It almost seemed as if the lights were meant not to work, and the actors carried it all off beautifully. Mark Morgan as Holmes, Stapleton, Cecile and several minor characters carried off the tomfoolery very well. His comic timing was perfectly supported by Ian Mcqueen as Sir Charles Baskerville (and other roles) and Roger Chevalier as an endearingly bemused Watson (and other roles.) Their combined experience was evident, plus, they all obviously had a good time, as did the audience. Fun times.

Merlene Abbott