Review: Sherlock Holmes and the Bitter of the Baskervilles: An Untapped Tale (Cams Mill, Fareham / UK Tour)

Review by Molly Gulvin

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Sherlock Holmes is easily one of the most famous literary characters of all time. From the original Arthur Conan Doyle novels to the countless adaptations through film, TV, and theatre, there is no doubt that the majority of the UK public has encountered 221B Baker Street at one point or another. For that reason, it’s not surprising that Holmes has once again become the centre of a new mystery, in this case the Old Joint Stock Touring Company’s Sherlock Holmes and the Bitter of the Baskervilles. A Sherlock Holmes mystery has a lot to live up to, but would this production leave us at the edge of our seats or would it simply feel elementary?

Sherlock Holmes and the Bitter of the Baskervilles is set in the aptly named Bitter of the Baskervilles pub, said by the barman Patt to be Holmes’s local. When Hector, a tourist, visits the pub, a ragtag group - including Patt, struggling actor Fanny and classic London cabbie Alfie - recount their experiences with the detective, entrancing the audience with dramatic tales of Holmes’s bravery and wit. However, as the stories are told, a larger tale unwinds: the case of the stolen diamond, the only mystery Holmes has not been able to solve. Through the anecdotes of the regulars, all the pieces are placed exactly where they need to be for the final case to be cracked. 

Written by Adam Meggido, the Bitter of the Baskervilles has everything you would expect of a Sherlock Holmes story: intrigue, drama, and a conclusion with flair that only a genius detective can bring. Meggido’s touch on this work only enhances it, adding a dimension of comedy that enriches the narrative and brings audiences onside from the first moment. The plot is genuinely intriguing, with unexpected twists until the very last moment - especially for the audience members that end up involved in the action! However, while it is clear that there has been some effort to expand the characters beyond two dimensions, sometimes they still feel trapped within these constraints - particularly Alfie, whose tale of heartbreak seems more like a reason to include Tears for Fears’ ‘Mad World’ than a genuine attempt to add depth to the character. With that being said, the characters and their tales do feel real and full of heart and warmth, and their characterisations leave them easy to root for from start to finish. 

The musical choices for this production certainly focus more on comedic value than dramatic, but most choices are surprisingly fitting. A particular favourite is the use of ‘Defying Gravity’ during a conflict on hot air balloons, and although it is slightly on the nose to use the number to close the first act, it certainly leaves the audience wanting more. It is difficult to spot a theme with the songs used, spanning a range of genres and eras, from Taylor Swift to Queen to Pasek and Paul. Whilst these are mostly successful, there are a few songs that seem to suffer from the ‘shoehorn’ danger in jukebox musicals, where a plot feels more designed to include a certain song than the song does to enhance the plot, although these are few and far between. Meggido and musical director Gaby Ball are also unafraid to rearrange the selected songs to match the actor-musician requirements; this is very effective, and the new arrangements create the underlying musical thread necessary to tie this eclectic selection of songs together neatly. 

Emily Susanne Lloyd directs this production, and does so with a gentle hand. From the moment that the cast step on stage, it is obvious that they have freedom to react differently from night to night - something that is vital when involving audience members! With that being said, the production as a whole still follows one creative vision, and the cast are clearly performing with the same goals in mind, forming an overall production that is mostly well-aligned and clear. Whilst this less structured approach to the production as a whole is effective, it does unfortunately lead to a few lapses in memory from the cast, often covered by some strong ad-libs but nonetheless noticeable. 

The previously mentioned four-strong cast is made up of a group of hugely talented actor-musicians - Will Batty, David Haller, Will Hamilton and Imogen Vickers. As an ensemble, this group is wonderful: each of them has a clear passion and excitement when performing the show that audiences can’t help but soak up. Their musicianship must also be commended: no production is easy to put on, but that can particularly be said of actor-musician roles, and the ensemble appears to do this with absolute ease from start to finish. The individual performances are also commendable, with each actor bringing their own comedic style to the production, ensuring that there is something for everyone. Hamilton, in particular, wins over the audience with practiced ease as barman Patt, never failing to take command of a comedic beat - there are few characters who would be able to call the audience ‘a bunch of old drunkards’ and still be rooted for by the end of the night, but Hamilton takes great care in ensuring that Patt is one of them. 

As noted earlier, the creative elements of this production have been well-aligned. Jonathan Brown’s set and costume designs are all fitting for the production, particularly his design of the Bitter of the Baskervilles that truly feels like a Holmes-era pub, whilst also being designed to contain the space necessary to securely hold instruments. His costume designs work similarly: perfectly suitable, these designs favour practicality whilst also feeling perfectly fitting to 19th-century London. Unfortunately, the Bitter of the Baskervilles is let down somewhat by its sound design. While ensuring sound clarity in outdoor spaces is admittedly difficult, the production contains peaking and popping microphones from start to finish, and despite the cast’s valiant efforts to continue performing even as mics are turned on and off, there are certainly moments where these problems lead to difficulties in hearing lyrics over the amplified instruments. The show is saved by its jukebox nature, as many of the audio difficulties would have been more noticeable if not for audiences already knowing the songs. With such a talented group of performers executing the numbers, it is only more of a shame that these sound problems impacted the performance, leaving me wishing that I could hear how every arrangement was intended to sound.  

Sherlock Holmes and the Bitter of the Baskervilles has a huge amount of potential: from its witty and gripping narrative to its wonderful cast, the current production makes for an entertaining evening of drama and mystery, as any good Sherlock Holmes story should be. While some polishing is needed for this work to reach its full potential, its flaws do not define it: in fact, despite them, the resulting production is a whirlwind of adventure that is a delightful fit for the Sherlock Holmes canon.  

Sherlock Holmes and the Bitter of the Baskervilles: An Untapped Tale continues on its UK tour until 28th August. Tickets are available from https://linktr.ee/OJSTour.

Photos by Perro Loco Productions