Sherlock Holmes has been dead for several years, having (apparently) fallen to his doom at the Reichenbach Falls, along with his archnemesis Professor Moriarty. Faithful associate Dr. Watson has moved on, putting his life of crime solving and mystery unraveling behind him — until he’s called to a Scottish asylum with a new puzzle: Three men, all patients, claim to be the previously-believed-to-be-deceased Holmes. Will the real detective please stand up?
Holmes and Watson, written by Jeffrey Hatcher and produced by PCPA, brings the beloved Sir Arthur Conan Doyle characters to the stage for a suspense thriller sure to enthrall. Dr. Watson, played by Don Stewart, is faced with the dilemma of three potential Sherlocks (played by Mike Fiore, Michael Gould, and Toby Tropper), each of whom offers a convincing case for their identity as the true Holmes. Tropper, who plays his role with the unique challenges that come with acting in a straitjacket, describes his version of the detective as “an extremely tortured and broken man haunted by his past — which makes him extremely dangerous…The script describes him as having ‘a hint of Christ’.”
The show, directed by Michael Brusasco, also features Mark Booher, Michael Tremblay, and Christen Celaya. “This is a …true thriller,” Tropper says. “It has elements of comedy, but the drama of the investigation is most prevalent…It’s great fun to see (Watson) trying to solve a mystery that he would usually solve with Holmes, when Holmes is, in fact, the mystery.”
See the show under the stars at the Solvang Festival Theater and watch for call-backs to the source material. “For Holmes-heads,” says Tropper, “it’s a real treat because it’s packed with Easter eggs referencing the original stories…People can look forward to suspense, intrigue, and ever so many twists and turns.”
Holmes and Watson runs July 11–26. pcpa.org
