Review: The Hound of The Baskervilles, Arnos Vale – ‘Artfully mixes comedy, crime, laughter and shock’

The Hound of the Baskervilles is an infamous and much-loved Sherlock Holmes tale that has been told over and over again, including in the BBC TV show Sherlock.

It is the story of Victorian-era detective Holmes and his assistant Dr John Watson investigating the  of a supernatural hound, a beast that may be stalking a young heir on the fog-shrouded moorland that makes up his estate.

Red Rope Theatre’s adaptation inside the Anglican Chapel in Arnos Vale Cemetery is intense and spine-chilling, artfully mixing elements of comedy, crime, laughter and shock.

Elliot Chapman plays the role of Holmes

From the moment the first line is uttered, the cast creates an atmosphere of cold, creeping dread as two narrators set the scene at Baskerville Hall in Dartmoor, allegedly plagued by a giant hound.

The storytelling continues to be focused and streamlined throughout, helped by having a cast of four and no interval, resulting in a taut, fast-paced production.

Dannan McAleer has great fun playing multiple roles, including one of the narrators, Hugo Baskerville, Charles Baskerville, Henry Baskerville, Jack Stapleton and Mr Barrymore with impressive accent work.

Rebecca Robson also plays several characters; first a giddy delight in the small role of Dr Mortimer, Holmes’ messenger, and later in the more serious role of Beryl Stapleton, a neighbour of the estate, as well as Kate and a narrator.

McCay-Hines’s and McAleer’s use of shadow work and puppets is particularly clever, reenacting the legend of Baskerville Hall and its demonic hound by making full use of the chapel’s magnificent and somewhat spooky architecture.

McAleer has great fun playing multiple roles

Meanwhile, the starring roles of Holmes and Watson are played compellingly by the elegantly dressed Elliot Chapman and Patrick McAndrew.

This is McAndrew’s debut performance, who recently graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His acting in the famous sidekick’s role brings a homely atmosphere whereby the audience feels as much like a detective as Watson and Holmes. It is a refreshing change from the usually impatient and cold personality of Holmes’ usual character. The relationship between the pair also feels kinder and more equal, although we do see comical moments of Watson’s utter confusion and awe as Holmes uses his deductive reasoning to investigate.

Director Roisin McCay-Hines makes superb use of the confined space, switching between both 221B Baker Street  and the mires of Dartmoor with the stage and corners of the chapel making for entrances and exits and cast members wandering behind the audience, immersing them in the action and terror.

Set in an eery chapel with ominous music trickling through the speakers, Red Rope Theatre’s latest production is a fun and gripping reimagining of the timeless The Hound of the Baskervilles.

All photos: Red Rope Theatre

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