Theater review: Baskerville - clever dialogue, unusual plot twists and lots of laughs

The 5 person cast plays 35 roles
Photo courtesy Driftwood Players

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery

By Ken Ludwig

Directed by Paul Fouhy

Edmonds Driftwood Players 

Wade James Theatre 950 Main St, Edmonds 98020

September 8 - 24, 2017

Thursday – Saturday at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm

Tickets

Baskerville is a hilarious Holmes Whodunit

Review by Doug Gochanour

Dust off your Deerstalker, as another Ludwig mystery is afoot. Once again, a reinvented

Sherlock Holmes seeks to dispatch a villain, before any more male heirs of the Baskerville clan are ruthlessly dispatched. He is ready for anything that comes along in the diverse activities of sleuthing

You can count on clever dialogue, unusual plot twists and lots of laughs, when Ken Ludwig writes about the famous detective. Director Paus Fouhy added his own twist, with Ludwig’s permission, in a role reversal of casting for all the characters. Note that Holmes and Watson are not played as females, just cast with a female actress in each role.

Kris ”Pepper” Hambrick plays the male lead, with Brynne Garman as Dr. Watson. Rounding out this FABULOUS FIVE cast are Ingrid Sanai Buron, Elex Hill, and Robert Alan Barnett. Instead of 4 males and 1 female cast members, Fouhy has reversed the count.

Holmes and Watson at the opera
Photo courtesy Driftwood Players

The real trick here is that those three non-lead actors play a total of 35 characters. They have to scramble to change costumes, accents, and mind-sets between divergent roles throughout the play. Elex mentioned the hard work, as they had to “frantically change characters.” Everyone gave a remarkable performance in meeting this challenge.

Wild antics, clues and conundrums flow as Holmes and Watson sort through an unnerving nexus of disguises, speech derivations, and trickery aimed at deception. Some punny humor always adds to the fun.

Watson questions the neighbors
Photo courtesy Driftwood Players

You will want to find out if a wild hellhound prowls the moors of Devonshire. You can hear its blood-curdling howl, but you may not see it. The hound colors blend with the darkness and shadows of the moor. It is just like dromedaries blending into the background of the desert, which we refer to as camel-flage.

All those disguises and all those characters deliver clues along the way. You will want to test your skills of deduction, but the main purpose is to enjoy the display of creativity and talent bringing you a story. It is spun in a web of comedy and mystery by a cast and crew, who are dedicated to producing excellent live theatre.

Can you imagine that this is the 59th season for the Driftwood players? Come enjoy “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” and support your local theatre, as it is supporting our community.