Reviews

Sherlock's Last Case (Aldeburgh, Southwold)

That mythical creator of the labyrinth Daedalus would have been proud of the late Charles Marowitz’s twists and turns in his play which takes Conan Doyle’s most celebrated creation and runs rings around the concept.

Anne Morley-Priestman

Sherlock's Last Case introduces us to the intellectually arrogant and deliberately posturing Holmes and his much put-upon amanuensis Doctor Watson. And of course the plot also involves mother hen Mrs Hudson and Inspector Lestrade dim on the surface but ultimately a great ferreter-out of truth.

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Considering that we meet only a brace of Moriarty offspring in addition, we are still whirled through a devilishly devious story whose ramifications spring a surprise at every corner.

Director Mark Sterling takes it at the briskest possible pace, not always favoured by the Jubilee Hall's acoustics, which brings some finely detailed characterisations from his cast. Maurice Rubens' ingenuous folding set, taking us slickly from Baker Street to Limehouse and back again also contains an ingenuous plot-important contrivance by Alan Horne – who needs CGI?

Sidi Scott has choreographed an amazing apache dance, fleetly footed by Harry Gostelow and Katy Fedeman. Gostelow embodies a Holmes so aware of his own cleverness that he can't help discounting anyone and anything which cannot offer the challenge he needs as a substitute stimulus. Not likeable in the least, but you do enjoy him – even at his most infuriating.

That's certainly not true of Watson, in this story. Clive Flint portrays him as a buttoned-up also-ran, increasingly bitter that his own medical and military achievements (remember that he served in the 1878-80 Afghanistan campaign) are constantly belittled. Worms do turn, from time to time. This one has had enough of being called "an addle-brained stooge".

Liza Moriarty, as Federman demonstrates, is in many ways the flip-side of the Holmes coin. There's a delicious but delicate air of mockery as she invades those smoke-filled bachelor rooms with a warning conveyed with just a hint of scented flirtatiousness. Jill Freud gives a well-rounded cameo of Mrs Hudson, expected to be at her lodgers' beck and call – and never mind her own concerns.

Sherlock's Last Case runs at the Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh until 16 August and transfers o the Southwold Summer Theatre 18 to 30 August.