THEATRE REVIEW: The Hound Of The Baskervilles - The Lowry Theatre, Salford.

'The Hound Of The Baskervilles' is the third of four crime novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the world renowned detective Sherlock Holmes. This play was adapted for the stage by Steven Canny and John Nicholson for the Original Theatre and Octogon Theatre Bolton and to say this is loosely based on Conan Doyle’s original plot is not far wide off the mark. This is a play full of farce and silliness with an occasional nod to the original storyline.

The play is a three-hander with Sherlock Holmes (Jake Ferretti), Doctor Watson (Niall Ransome) and Sir Henry Baskerville (Serena Manteghi) as the main characters – the premise being that Sir Charles Baskerville (also played by Serena Manteghi) was seemingly murdered by some kind of beast on the moors of Dartmoor. Holmes and Watson are brought in by Dr James Mortimer (also Serena Manteghi) to solve the mystery and find who was responsible.

Ferretti is an extremely able Sherlock and played this character with much of the expected characteristics of the famous detective, albeit with a comedic tone that you don’t often see. However, it was his portrayal of both Jack Stapleton and Miss Carmen Stapleton that stood out more, both were delivered expertly and with brilliant comic timing at every turn.

The only actor who played a single character was Ransome as Doctor John Watson. In many ways this was the lead role in this version of the play but Watson was far from being the analytical doctor that one would traditionally see in a Conan Doyle adaptation. In this production he was very much the fool and was suspecting just about everyone of the murder in his notes back to Sherlock.

However, of all of the acting performances on display this evening I think it was Serena Manteghi who stole the show. She played a huge number of roles, including Sir Henry, Sir Charles and Dr Mortimer as well as other smaller characters including some hilarious yokels who came on and off stage at just about the right time to add even more laughs to an already funny plot. All actors broke the fourth wall numerous times during the night but none more so than Manteghi – she did this without breaking into a sweat and was able to react to the audience gasps and horrors superbly.

The set design by David Woodhead was something of a joy to behold. Much of it revolves around pieces of the set being on castors, allowing them to be expertly wheeled around by the actors in between scenes. It means those scene changes were visible but in the same way were seamless and very much in keeping with the whole production.

The script, as I have said, really turns Conan Doyle’s work into a farce and whilst the storyline still stays loosely to the plot of the novel, this is really where the connection with the original work ends. 

The only real question is one of expectation. If you are expecting a true adaptation of the original works of Sherlock Holmes then this is not for you at all. If you want a fun filled night with some great acting on show and a play filled with modern jokes and funny asides then I would heartily recommend it.  Personally I loved it and the vast majority of those in attendance did too.

Reviewer - John Fish
on - 1.2.22