"Singularly Adapted To Our Needs" [MISS]

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[Editor's note: the following was submitted by Jeremy Holstein from the Post-Meridian Radio Players]

"If I show you too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all." - A Study in Scarlet

In March of this year I auditioned for a local production of "The Day the Earth Stood Still."  During auditions I overheard a comment by the artistic director that they were looking to do a production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, but that they did not have a script yet. Being the life-long Holmes fanatic I am, I boldly (foolishly?) volunteered to adapt the script for the Post-Meridian Radio Players. The major caveat was that I had to bring the script in under an hour.

I didn't know what I was in for.

First thing we did was transcribe a 1977 production done for the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. This was to be my starting point. If you've ever heard this version it's heavily abridged, with several major sequences and characters cut out. The dialog is also, for lack of a better word, paraphrased.

To fix the paraphrasing problem we subsequently transcribed every scrap of dialog from the original novel into a basic radio script.

With these two scripts in hand I set out to marry them together. My goals were as follows:

• To restore as much original Doyle dialog as possible. 
• To restore the missing sequences of the cab-chase in London and the Laura Lyons character. 
• Get it down under an hour. The producer told me, and I quote, "45 minutes would be best."

Read more...

"Possible Actors in This Drama" [SECO]

Sherlock Holmes has a long history in the medium of radio, stretching back as far as 1930 and possibly (if certain reports are to believed) even earlier.

Among the notable actors who have played Holmes and Watson on the radio are such luminaries as William Gillette, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Clive Merrison, Michael Williams, Andrew Sachs, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, John Neville, Cartlon Hobbs and Norman Shelley, among many, many, many others. For every screen appearance by Holmes and Watson there are at least three times that number in the medium of sound.

Do you have what it takes to join their ranks?

This July the Post Meridian Radio Players will be presenting an original live radio adaptation of The Hound
of the Baskervilles as part of their Summer Mystery Radio Theater. The Hound will close out an evening of other classic radio mysteries, including a recreation of the Burns and Allen classic "Gracie Take Up Crime Solving" and the Suspense classic "Sorry, Wrong Number."

For those Baker Street Blog readers of a theatrical bent who are in the Boston area, auditions will be held in
Somerville, MA on the evenings of May 21st and 22nd. Further information on the production can be found on the Hub of the Universe website. Check out their site for information on auditions, including sides and sign-up.

All are welcome.


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"A Sound of Galloping Across The Moor" [HOUN]

One of the strengths of the canon - and Conan Doyle's writing - is its ability to connote a vivid, memorable atmosphere. The Hound of the Baskervilles is the most frequently adapted - and most noted by both scholars and casual fans - of Conan Doyle's novels for its ability to immerse the reader in a moody, darkened setting.

Thankfully, the Veni Vidi Theatre company in London is producing a uniquely styled adaptation. From August 15th to August 20th, the Theater adapted The Hound of the Baskervilles as a radio drama - actors voicing the characters, and the production will be reminiscent of a pre-World War II audio production. (Think Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater as a comparison). Rather than do a scene-by-scene recreation onstage, the troupe appears to have gone one step further - providing an adaptation that attempts to engage the audience on both an immediate and more imaginative level.

Thankfully, Veni Vidi has provided some videos about the production. You can check out the playlist below:

This production of The Hound of the Baskervilles was adapted by Simon Williams, and is directed by Natalie Anne-Downs. Veni Vidi's adaptation seems to be a uniquely distinctive approach to the canon, and a must-see for Sherlockians everywhere. A review from remotegoat.co.uk called it "a perfect homage to both radio theatre and to Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary work."

If you were among those who were able to see the production, we'd love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.

Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.

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"Have You Sent to Cleveland?" [STUD]

If you happen to be in the Cleveland, Ohio area this fall, you might want to check out what's happening at the Cleveland Playhouse. From November 25 - December 18, the troupe will be presenting The Game's Afoot - or, Holmes for the Holidays, written by Ken Ludwig and starring Aaron Posner.

The city of Cleveland made only one appearance in the Sherlock Holmes stories: it was listed on Enoch J. Drebber's business card in A Study in Scarlet. But in this case, it plays home to an important event - the world premiere of Ken Ludwidg's play.

According the the description of their website:

Acclaimed actor of the 1930s, William Gillette, invites his Sherlock Holmes co-stars to his eccentric Connecticut mansion for a Christmas Eve celebration. When one of the guests is murdered, Gillette employs the persona of the master detective he’s made famous on the stage. A murder mystery comedy from the author of Lend Me A Tenor.

If you're planning to be in the area, we're certain that this will prove to be an evening of fun that will tickle your Sherlockian funny bone.


When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.
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"London to Chatham" [GOLD]

For those of you vacationing on Cape Cod or within a reasonable drive to the Lower Cape, you might be interested in this piece of news shared with us by reader Jared McNabb, concerning a theatrical production of William Gillette's famous play.

SHERLOCK HOLMES
William Gillette / Arthur Conan Doyle
Monomoy Theatre, Chatham, MA July 19-23

The great American actor and playwright William Gillette revised a five-act drama about the exploits of Sherlock Holmes written by Arthur Conan Doyle, and new era of the Holmes legend was born. Loosely based on the Holmes tales A Scandal in Bohemia and The Final Problem, Gillette extensively rewrote the script tailoring the part of Holmes to suit his own personal­ity. After Gillette received Conan Doyle's approval of the final draft of Sherlock Holmes in 1899, he played the part for over 30 years, touring across America, Europe, and England.

British director and actor, Richard Mangan is coming back again from London to direct this thrilling, romantic adventure that pits Holmes and Dr. Watson against their greatest adversary, romance all playing a part in the mystery. Monomoy favorite Bill Kux is also returning and will display his remarkable versa­tility moving effortlessly from playing last summer's Queen Aggravaine to this year's Sherlock Holmes. Chatham and London's own Bernard Cornwell also joins the cast playing Dr. Watson

The greatest of all “who done its” set in the tradition of the English Victorian music hall.
Tickets $28.00 Evenings $23.00 Matinees

For more information on the theatre or to purchase tickets online please visit the Monomoy Theatre website.

Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.
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"This Great And Somber Stage" [BRUC]

Sherlock Holmes has a very pervasive presence in our popular culture...but it seems as if he is having something of a renaissance when it comes to staged versions of his adventures.

For example, a California-based theatrical company is putting on a production based on two of the stories from the canon - "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Final Problem". (In actual fact, it is the William Gilette/Sir Arthur Conan Doyle play from 1899). Putting on a 19th century play in the 21st century might seem a little unusual, but for Holmes, it makes perfect sense.

However, modern playwrights have also taken to creating their own non-canon works - another theatrical company has put on an original play based on Holmes. Of course, like many modern takes on Holmes, it does contain other historical figures as part of the plot...but that does not take away from telling another grand tale of the detective.

Finally, we find that there is one aspect of a "Cabaret Goes Lit" review that features Holmes...which only proves that "this great and somber stage" is anything but.



Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at Blog THIS, Pal! and Comic Related.
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"Back From the Theatre" [RETI]

We suppose you could call this "The Return of the Secret of Sherlock Holmes." After a 20-year hiatus, Jeremy Paul's play The Secret of Sherlock Holmes is back.

You may recall that Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke took to the stage in 1988-89 to play the roles they became so renowned for in the Granada Television series. The play ran for approximately 400 episodes in London's West End, and its run was an obvious strain on the Brett, who had already begun a decline in health that would end in his untimely death in 1995.

It's only been recently that the play has managed to see a resurgence in interest. We wrote about Shakespeare & Company's reprisal in the fall of 2007 ("Their Secret Was Out" [GREE]) and also covered it on Episode 10 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. Check out those two links for full coverage of that version.

There can be no doubt that the recent Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey, Jr. has also increased the attention on our favorite detective. It's no surprise then that the theatrical world should also be interested in seeing Holmes return to the stage. After all, it was William Gillette who used the stage to make Sherlock Holmes an even more integrated role in popular culture some 100 years ago.

The Stage recently reported that Jeremy Paul's The Secret of Sherlock Holmes would be returning to London's West End beginning on July 20, replacing the Fantasticks at the Duchess Theatre. In the role of Sherlock Holmes will be Peter Egan, and his friend and colleague Dr. Watson will be played by Robert Daws. Egan recently played Holmes in a stage edition of The Hound of the Baskervilles and you may recall Daws from his days as Bertie Wooster's brainless pal Tuppy Glossop in Jeeves & Wooster.

There's no indication on the length of run of this show; it's likely to be fueled by the sequel to the recent film as well. If you do see it, please pop by and let us know what you thought, or drop us a line  at bakerstreetblog AT gmail DOT com and let us know if you'd care to do a guest post with a full review.

Related items of interest:

    

"A Certain Annual" [SPEC]

For anyone reading this blog, there has never been a time when the world as you know it has been without Sherlock Holmes. As a matter of fact, it's been exactly 120 years since Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance in the Beeton's Christmas Annual. For a short summary of Holmes's humble beginnings, you can listen to a segment on All Things Considered that NPR ran on December 23.

And in our own humble way, we honor his memory over at the Baker Street Journal. Each year for the last 10 years, we've been offering an additional companion piece to our quarterly journal - something we call the Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual.

The Christmas Annual for 2007 is about to hit the streets, and we've already got a record number of subscribers signed up to receive it. If you are renewing your BSJ subscription or if you're taking a subscription out for the first time, you can automatically include the Annual as part of your package, and receive a discount in the process. So, sign up now for the 2008 Journal & Annual.

In the meantime, let's focus on what we've got in 2007. The title of this year's entry is:

Rathbone Returns: A Misadventure Called Sherlock Holmes by S.E. Dahlinger, ASH and Glen Miranker, BSI ("The Origin of Tree Worship")

Basil Rathbone is still a perennial favorite of many Holmes enthusiasts. As a matter of fact, I recently met a 9 year-old who came to a dinner of the Friends of Irene Adler in Cambridge, MA dressed as the great detective - and he himself told me that Basil Rathbone was the best Sherlock Holmes ever. We could argue that here or in a variety of forums forever, but let's say that by the end of his 14 film stretch and radio play, Rathbone was inexorably typecast.

Indeed, he was just as eager to push Sherlock Holmes over the precipice at Reichenbach Falls as Arthur Conan Doyle had been. As he wrote in his autobiography, In and Out of Character:

I was . . . deeply concerned with the problem of being "typed," more completely "typed" than any other classic actor has ever been or ever will be again. . . . There was nothing I could do about it, except to stop playing Mr. Holmes. . . .

That June, Rathbone and his wife Ouida left Hollywood for the New York stage in search of better things. At least, that was the plan. They quickly found that Broadway wouldn't touch Basil as anything other than Holmes, either. Rathbone began casting about for the play in which to rekindle his rapidly fading star—and fell back on his wife to write it.

Thereby hangs our tale of Sherlock Holmes by Ouida Rathbone. It may have been a comedy, or it may have been a tragedy. It cost one man his dream of conquering Broadway in his most notable role. It cost another man his career as a Broadway producer. It gave yet a third man a heart attack at the dress rehearsal. It even caused the Conan Doyle Estate to forget that the script had ever been produced in the first place. Yet there was certainly an element of comedy.

The play opened here in Boston (as did many plays of the day before hitting the Great White Way). Peter Blau even mentioned planning on seeing it in New York after its Boston run. If you pick up a copy of the Annual, you'll see what happened in the process.

So, as a birthday present to Holmes and as a happy Blue Carbuncle Day ("the second morning after Christmas"), order your copy - and sign up for a subscription and next year's Annual while you're at it, over at bakerstreetjournal.com.

"I Shall Get the Tickets" [BOSC]

[Notice: this is one of a number of contests that I'll be running on the blog here over the next few weeks. I've been lucky enough to have been contacted by some individuals who were interested in getting some publicity for their efforts. I hope you'll have fun with these, participate, and encourage others to do the same.]

You may have heard that in conjunction with the BSI Weekend, the one-man play Sherlock Solo will be performed by Victor L. Cahn at the Kirk Theatre.

The play runs from January 10 through February 3 in New York, so there are other times to see it if you don't make it to during the Weekend festivities (there are so many other things to do!). You can buy tickets at (212) 279-4200.

Or - here's a thought - you can participate in a contest right here on the blog. The producer has given me 5 pairs of tickets that I'll be giving away to my readers. Here's how the giveaway will work:

In the comments section of this post (if you're reading this as an email or through a feedreader, please go to the web site), or on the Baker Street Blog Facebook Group, leave a comment that explains how you've personally been affected by Sherlock Holmes this year. It could be a book, a movie, another Sherlockian, an online discussion - whatever. But tell me some way that the character has enriched your life for 2007.

Entries are due on or before 11:59 PM on December 31, 2007. After that, I'll be choosing winners at random. I'm also promoting this through the Baker Street Blog Facebook Group. I may post additional information to the group only; please join the group now so you don't miss out on any details.

Good luck! I look forward to reading about your experiences!

"Holmes Gave Me a Brief Review" [THOR]

You may recall my announcement of the opening of two one-act plays by Andrew Joffe, BSI ("Sir Charles Halle"), starring Paul Singleton, BSI ("Covent Garden"). In it, I mentioned that if you're in New York in December, you should make it a point to see The Blue Carbuncle & the Gift of the Magi - a nice mashup of Conan Doyle and O. Henry. The details are:

The Blue Carbuncle with Sherlock Holmes & The Gift of the Magi
Adapted from stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & O. Henry
By Andrew Joffe
Directed by Kathleen Brant
Musical Direction: Jeffrey Buchsbaum
With Paul Singleton as Sherlock Holmes
Dec. 6 - Dec. 22, Tues thru Sat.
At: The WorkShop Theater Company
312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY
(212) 695-4173

Reservations through Theatermania:
http://www.theatermania.com/ticketing/index.cfm/int_showid/138403

Well, it turns out that even though I'm a big Joffe/Singleton fan, you shouldn't take my word for it, oh no. Please, see what the inestimable Susan Rice, ASH, BSI, 2s. ("Beeswing") had to say.

I know you're all aware of the current production of Blue Carbuncle and Gift of the Magi, adapted for the stage by Andrew Joffe and starring Paul Singleton. I saw it tonight, and I'm doing you a favor by telling you to take out your calendars and reserve a ticket for yourself NOW. Andrew's adaptation of BLUE manages to demonstrate all the warmth every Sherlockian perceives in the friendship of Holmes and Watson without ever needing to put it into words. You think you have seen Paul play Holmes, but until you see this production, you have not seen him be Holmes, and I'm glad to report his Watson is above reproach. The Gift of the Magi is a lovely piece of lagniappe, as is an opening chorus of contemporary holiday music, some of which is extremely funny.

And just so you don't think that Susan and I are simply Kool-Aid drinking Sherlockians and FOPS (Friends of Paul Singleton), take a look at what Backstage added:

Amidst all the big-budget holiday theatrical fare, I sincerely hope theatregoers will find time to enjoy this delightful offering at a tiny Midtown black-box theatre. It overflows with the true spirit of the season.

Both tales have been cleverly adapted by Andrew Joffe and imaginatively staged by Kathleen Brant to include the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan Christmas, complete with jubilant carolers and a street-corner violinist (Ken Linsk). Touches like an invisible O. Henry (played with buoyant good humor by Richard Kent Green) helping his character Della on with her coat are wonderful. Jodie Bentley and Tyler Hollinger manage to avoid easy sentimentality and find the camaraderie and love, with an undercurrent of erotic passion, that bind O. Henry's famous romantic pair. Paul Singleton gives us brief glimpses of the emotional loneliness behind the pipe-chomping Holmes' piercing intellect and deftly illuminates the famous sleuth's unswerving moral passion, while Todd Butera creates an earthy, good-natured Watson who has great admiration and compassion for his longtime friend.

Please click through to the Backstage site for the full review.

Have you seen the plays? Let me - and the rest of the readership know what you thought of it by leaving a comment below.

"I Give You These Results" [BLUE]

Last night was the Mystery Writers of America dinner at which the 2007 Edgar Award winners were announced. In January, in a post titled Your Merits Should be Publicly Recognized, I listed six categories containing seven entries which featured Sherlock Holmes (or his friends). Of those, I am happy to inform you that two were presented with Edgars:

Best Critical / Biographical
The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear, The Real Forensics Behind the Great Detective's Greatest Cases by E.J. Wagner

Best Play
"Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure" by Steven Dietz (Arizona Theater Company)

Congratulations to Ms. Wagner and Mr. Dietz!