“The Hound Of The Baskervilles” by Riverside Drama Company
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton

I love a good spoof and having seen this version not too long ago, was eager to see this production, which is slightly different to the all male cast I saw previously. This is an all female cast and that in itself adds a completely different level of humour due to the physicality of the cast.

With just three cast members playing all the roles, and a script that is so fast paced that it’s likely that the trio probably collapses in the wings every night at the end of the show.

The play has its’ roots in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1901 story, beginning with the shock death of Sir Charles Baskerviulle who is found dead on the grounds of his dark, spooky country house, Baskerville Hall.

According to legend the Baskerville family is hounded by a curse which sees a hellish beast of a dog baying for the Baskerville’s blood.

There is now only one heir to the Baskerville’s inheritance, Charles’ nephew, Sherlock Holmes has a race against the clock to get to the bottom of the curse before another Baskerville falls victim to the hound.

Mina Machin plays Holmes, Stapleton, Cecile Stapleton, Mr Barrymore and a Yokel.

Lizzie Norris plays Dr Watson slightly different. Naive and eager to please Holmes, almost in a sense of hero worship.and a Yokel.

Samantha Badman plays Sir Charles Baskerville, Sir Henry Baskerville, Mortimer, a Cabbie and various Yokels.

As you can see these three actors work very hard in this play.

It's one of the most faced paced, funny, well timed comedies around at the moment. The humour comes thick and fast with many one liners combined with the awesome physical comedy that this play demands.

It also has echoes of the old Ealing comedies, not unlike Chaplin and the Keystone Cops with just the animated feel of Scooby Doo creeping in there as well.

The set is well thought out and is atmospheric as well, with just a few pieces of physical set being wheeled on and off at speed. Bob Baron and the company are responsible for this little gem.

Part of the comedy comes from the sound effects and the timing of the effects and we have Dan Bates to thank for the design and Joe Downing for the show sound.

Sound and Light go hand in hand and this created even more of an atmosphere, and the lighting could be in no better hands than with Dave Martin

Dan Bates is also the Director and he and the cast have kept this pace going at 100 mile an hour and that means that you really have top pay attention for the laughs because they really are quickfire, especially in Act Two.

Brilliant costumes provided by Mina Machin.

This is definitely one piece of theatre that I had the pleasure of just sitting back and letting the comedy wash all over me. It was faultless, and the guffaws of laughter from the audience told everyone, I deduced, that this is one not to miss.

Go on, give your chuckle muscles a workout!

“The Hound Of The Baskervilles” is at the Duchess Theatre Company until Saturday 26 March 2019.