Alex Harvey-Brown
OUR VERDICT
It’s murder, hidden treasure and deception at the Yvonne Arnaud this week in Sherlock Holmes – The Sign of Four. Loris Heiss was gripped...
In true Sherlock Holmes style, the Sign of Four is full of intrigue, adventure, mystery and excitement. Featuring a standout ensemble cast who not only play a variety of roles as Sherlock Homes unravels the convoluted mystery, the talented performers also provide the background music with live performances on everything from a sitar to a saxophone, varying from a delicate violin or a tinkling xylophone to a booming trombone.
At times evocative of the hauntingly familiar music from the Poirot series, the pieces composed by Tristan Parke, are woven into transitions, setting the mood and adding excitement to a play which contains lots of exposition and can sometimes border on the wordy.
With lots of twists and turns to explain throughout, the energy of the play is well-sustained throughout the first act but suffers after the energetic boat chase scene halfway through the second act. This breathless and fast-paced blockbuster of a scene is followed up with a rather lengthy and heavy monologue, which puts the brakes on the pacing of the show.
With beautiful and clever design by Victoria Spearing, the minimalist set becomes a part of the action. Dark and cloaked in shadows, the striking black set successfully evokes exotic locales while also serving as the backdrop for a variety of more familiar settings. The versatile pieces are moved by the cast in distinctive choreographed flourishes and are used to create everything from a South London sitting room to an Indian fort; transforming convincingly to both a hansom carriage and a boat.
The cast is strong and steady across the board, delivering memorable performances in a variety of roles. Luke Barton as the infamous Sherlock Holmes provides a dashing and sophisticated take on the well-known character. His good looks, smooth voice and clipped accent successfully convey the world-weary detective eternally in search of stimulation.
John Derrington’s Watson is the standout performer, acting not only as the trusty sidekick to Holmes’ detective but also providing narration and amusing quips and asides to the audience. His subtle and coy courting of Mary is a joy to watch, especially for fans of the books who will know that theirs is a love story that will truly blossom.
A well-adapted and cleverly staged Sherlock Holmes adaptation, The Sign of Four is an entertaining and engaging production which is mostly well paced and thoroughly well-acted by a talented ensemble cast.
Venue: Yvonne-Arnaud Theatre, Guildford
Dates: 6 February - 9 February 2019, various times (tickets from £19 book here)
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