THE LOWRY, SALFORD – UNTIL 5 FEBRUARY 2022
REVIEWED BY ANGELOS SPANTIDEAS
4****
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a classic Sherlock Holmes thriller, with this adaptation taking a more playful and cheeky take on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, trying to solve an almost metaphysical mystery in a play that turns into a suspenseful comedy with incredible joke timing and a story that maintains the investigative spirit of crime solving.
With the cast of the play being only three people, Niall Ransome depicts a less serious and almost naive version of Dr Watson, while Serena Manteghi and Niall Ransome juggle between multiple different roles, changing almost at lighting speed between them while at the same time creating a different narrative for each, with different comedy styles and personas.
What is most interesting about this play is the interaction that the actors have with the audience, while at the same time maintaining the fantasy of the storytelling on stage. From the beginning there is no fourth wall and the actors interact freely with the audience, while slight changes of the set and the use of simple props do just enough, in order to transform the stage to serve each part of the story. The three actors have amazing chemistry and each interaction brings laughs and at no point feels like there is even a slight inadequacy in the delivery of jokes and the portrayal of the different roles despite the size of the cast.
This play can only be described as comical and quite simply hilarious, brimming with infectious laughter and entertainment and is definitely suggested for a fun night at the theatre.