A murder, an isolated asylum, and the fallout from a dismembered criminal organization set the stage for Jeffrey Hatcher’s Holmes and Watson, a new Sherlock Holmes mystery running at Solvang Festival Theater. No spoilers for this twisting thriller but expect dramatic reveals and fun performances in this satisfying production from PCPA’s summer series.
In the two years since Sherlock Holmes’s high-profile disappearance, Dr. Watson has been called on several times to confirm or debunk the assertions of people claiming to be the celebrated detective. Holmes is assumed dead after he (apparently) fell off the Reichenbach Falls in a scuffle with criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, though no bodies were ever found. Directed by Michael Brusasco, Holmes and Watson pits Dr. Watson (played by Don Stewart) against a triple threat of asylum patients, all claiming to be the detective “back from the dead.”
Each man presents a convincing case for his authenticity — but at least two men are lying. For audience members solving the mystery as it unfolds on stage, the clues are plentiful and delightfully specific; for those simply enjoying the flow of the story, the three Sherlocks — played by Mike Fiore, Toby Tropper, and Michael Gould — offer vigorous performances within the charmingly eerie confines of the asylum space.
Holmes and Watson is a fun new adventure for the dynamic duo of detection that maintains the spirit of the dark-and-stormy Sir Arthur Conan Doye universe. The show has a clever concept and a tight script — as long as you can suspend your disbelief enough to accept the idea that adding a moustache is an effective disguise.
See the show in Solvang through July 26. pcpa.org
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