With rapid costume changes, utter silliness, dame-like costumes and hilarious dance numbers, West End comedy The Hound of the Baskervilles could easily give any panto a run for its money – oh, yes, it could.
The daft, farcical and knockabout version of the classic Sherlock Holmes story brought criminally good fun to Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre and unofficially kicked off the city’s crime-writing festival Granite Noir.
Breaking the fourth wall from the very beginning, the talented cast told Aberdeen audience members the performance was so scary that those easily frightened should just go home.
Unsurprisingly, all theatre-lovers decided to stay and the only screams that echoed in the venue were of laughter – and there was a lot of them.
Brilliant adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles
The show starts with the suspicious death of Sir Charles Baskerville.
His friend Doctor Mortimer tells Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson that he believes the ghost hound who roams the moors of Dartmoor had something to do with his passing.
But Doctor Mortimer doesn’t want Holmes to investigate – he just wants to make sure the new Baskerville heir Sir Henry is safe.
While it would have been easier to write a spoof or invent characters and scenes that weren’t part of the original story, this production of The Hound of the Baskervilles is very faithful to the drama and intrigue of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic eerie tale.
But how is it possible to inject fast-paced comedy and surreal sense of humour into a world-famous mystery so effortlessly?
Elementary, my dear Watson – you just need a trio of stellar actors who can portray all the characters.
Trio of talented actors bring famous characters to life
And the cast of Jake Ferretti, Serena Manteghi and Niall Ransome really gave it their all. Each of them played multiple roles and used clever – and incredibly fast – shifts in costume and mannerisms to portray different characters.
Jake – who took on the iconic role of sophisticated but surprisingly Spanish Sherlock Holmes – was fantastic and his hissy fit at the start of the second act was one of the highlights of the show.
Niall portrayed Dr Watson – and many other characters – brilliantly and his comedic timing was spot on. And Serena – who brought Sir Henry, Doctor Mortimer and not two but three yokels to life – added even more jokes and playfulness to the play.
Mistaken identities and impenetrable disguises
The plot also involved a number of running jokes, mistaken identities, impenetrable disguises and a surprising number of animals – which, of course, also included the mysterious and dangerous hound.
Whether you’re a huge Sherlock Holmes fan or you’re just looking to see a play as part of Aberdeen’s Granite Noir, you certainly won’t be in the doghouse for taking your friends or family to see The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is at His Majesty’s Theatre until Saturday February 26.
Click here for more information and if you wish to book tickets.
