Sherlock Holmes | Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

If you’re a fan of Sherlock Holmes, then you will love the Sherlock Holmes stage production currently on at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. If you don’t know much about Sherlock, you will still find it entertaining but probably a bit confusing at times. Either way, it’s an enjoyable production to watch, particularly at this venue, with the beauty and nature of Regent’s Park around you.

Slated as a new Sherlock story written by Joel Horwood, this still has all the hallmarks of classic Sherlock. Sherlock is a petulant and cold detective with his earnest and personable sidekick, Watson. The premise: a mysterious woman and a jewel show up at 221B Baker Street, and what emerges is a complicated mystery about colonialism and rebellion. Sherlock has his classic pipe and drug addiction, and Watson has his cane and his psychosomatic injury, as they traipse around London, uncovering layer upon layer of this mystery. And together, at the end, when their friendship is on the line, Sherlock chooses Watson and ultimately love instead of jaded misery. Classic Sherlock, am I right? The mystery, combined with the heartfelt best-friend relationship, is what makes this franchise so successful - and it’s also what makes this stage version so enjoyable.

This show has all the clever theatre elements that make for a good night out, as well. The stage is simple at first glance, but comes alive with automation and the use of upper decking/bridge. Then there’s the use of the bridge at the back of the audience and even the wooded areas at the side. All of this lends itself to the feeling that this show was made with this venue in mind, in the open air, with the sounds of birds and wildlife around, as the mystery deepens and the sun sets behind the stage. This is why the set design, by Grace Smart, and the direction, by Sean Holmes, are true standouts.

Additionally, the sound design and movement, by Elena Peña and Charlotte Bloom respectively, were engaging and fit incredibly well together. I’m not a huge fan of using sharp and hard movement to act as scene transitions, but in this production, I didn’t mind as much. Some transitions felt out of place, but overall, the hard movement alongside the suspenseful and grimy sound flowed perfectly together.

The acting itself was great all around. The ensemble playing different roles was fascinating to watch, and there were some amazing scenes, such as the circus-esque scene. Jyuddah Jaymes, who played Watson, was fantastically heartfelt and exasperated, a charming and sympathetic character for us to follow. Joshua James, who played Sherlock, was powerful and hilarious, the cold-hearted narcissist whom we've all come to know and love. My only criticism here is that Sherlock was overly shouty at times, and I would have appreciated more variation in delivery throughout.

This leads me to the point that I was also disappointed that we spent the majority of the show focused on the mystery, with only one flashback scene to when Sherlock and Watson met. I wondered if the show could have benefited from a few more flashback scenes or scenes that really showcased the friendship between these two. Doing this would have also made the stakes at the end feel more earned and impactful.

Lastly, the plot around possible colonial revolutions around the world, inspired by this one heist, was a bit underdeveloped at times. Was this show purely about Sherlock unravelling the mystery? Or was this show about Britain’s tenuous colonial powers and the rights of those oppressed by Britain? The show seemed to hint at the latter, but never fully explored this. The conversation around colonial legacy and repatriation would have been enjoyable to explore, to see Sherlock and Watson grapple with it in more detail.

That being said, this show is a fantastic stage translation of the famed detective. This version actually felt more powerful being done live on stage, and that’s something this production should be proud of. It’s hard to tell a well-known story differently. This production manages this all through the clever use of the theatrical elements: set, acting, costuming, lighting, music and ultimately the stunning backdrop of Regent’s Park at night.

Sherlock Holmes plays at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until 06th June - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Tristram Kenton