This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour was invited to review The Hound of the Baskervilles by Blue Orange Theatre.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, Dave Massey spoke to Oliver Hayes. Listen back here:
By Dave Massey twitter.com/BrumHour
Please note this production contains: dry humping, lots of terrible terrible puns and the sound of Kate Bush.
The Hound of the Baskervilles – The Hit Farce at Blue Orange Theatre
Created by Thomas Moore, with additional material by Oliver Hayes and Bibi Lucille.
Sherlock Holmes (Oliver Hayes) and Doctor Watson (Bibi Lucille) recount to us their most famous story in a pun-filled romp where, in character, they appear to play all of the parts themselves.
I was thinking of mean things to add to the production poster like: “Mercifully Short” or “Brilliantly Shit” as the first half zipped along I was drawn into this daft world filled with incidental music, atmosphere (A smoke machine) and random footwear left on the stage.
Actors Bibi Lucille and Oliver Hayes both get various chances to shine as they play out a range of characters with their mad wigs, hats and scarves but whilst they were both playing versions of Sherlock and Watson they both reminded me of The Doctor from Doctor Who with their checked trousers and braces.
The set is five different wooden frames which rotate to display different backgrounds plus several suitcases to demonstrate cars and train journeys.
Bizarrely this version seems to leave Sherlock in that London while Doctor Watson takes most of the chunk of the adventure in Devonshire.
There were times when I couldn’t quite work out what the plot point was about but that doesn’t matter really. Seeing this pair of actors race around, run on the spot and at some points argue in character was amusing and very silly. Brilliantly silly in fact (I’ve seen a space on the poster!)
This production has two 40 minute acts with a 20 minute break in between. A word of warning, there is some audience participation involved. But just a little.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is at Blue Orange Theatre until Saturday 14th September. Book tickets here: blueorangetheatre.co.uk/project/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-2nd-14th-september
This isn’t a sponsored post.
When not writing about theatre for BrumHour, or producing Interval Theatre for Brum Radio (Tuesdays 3pm) brumradio.com/intervaltheatre,
Dave Massey can be found eating crisps and claiming to be at the gym. And tweeting about Birmingham for #BrumHour.
