It is a very special year for the New Vic as it is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the current building.
This event is being commemorated by the return of some of the biggest hits from the past four decades and one of these is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic The Hound of the Baskervilles which has had an update for the 2026 season.
The Sherlock aficionado will recognise most of the key elements of the original story. The Baskerville family is haunted by a curse that means that the males of the family can be terrorised by a demonic hound. The latest to fall foul of the beast is Sir Charles who has been found dead on the Baskerville Hall estate with a look of horror on his face. This leaves Canadian citizen Sir Henry as the only heir to the baronetcy.
Charles’ executor asks Holmes and his sidekick John Watson to look after the new peer and Watson is quickly dispatched to Dartmoor to act as bodyguard and also to sniff around for clues to the real story behind the myth and to keep the super sleuth informed.
Whether the Doctor is well-equipped to perform his task remains to be seen but Holmes himself is always hidden in the background. And to be fair to Watson, there are many baffling reasons that prevent him from getting on with his job.
Is escaped prisoner Slasher Sheldon a prime suspect? Why do Butler Barrymore and his wife never seem to have any food in the kitchen? Why do Henry’s clothes keep disappearing? Who is the mysterious Stapleton who lives nearby with his sister and is one of the few people who knows how to navigate the treacherous moorland? And what impediment is there to stymie Henry’s amorous advances on Stapleton’s sister?
All is revealed as the play progresses but it is also revealed very early on in the piece that the audience is watching a play within a play. This gives many opportunities for the comical side to this production to be brought forth and for the props to be used as part of the fun.
With a cast of just four actors, it is clear – just as in The 39 Steps – there will be a need for multiple role-playing.
Alyce Liburd retains the role of Watson throughout and she plays this role to excellent effect. Conan Doyle gave Watson a more prominent part in this tale and Liburd takes to it like a duck to water. She gave a great performance whether it be semi-serious or overtly comical with good timing and movement.
Tom Richardson plays the Baronet with a gorgeous and barely hidden sense of fun and had a beautiful on-stage relationship with his other cast members and Jerone Marsh-Reid plays his part as Stage Manager with some very amusing visual comedy.
Which leaves Alex Phelps who begins the play as Sherlock himself but then plays many of the other characters. This involves some slick – and not so slick but I am sure that they were deliberate!! – changes of costume and characterisation. An excellent performance that reminds the audience of another Michael Hugo.
What this delivers is a rip-roaring, side-splitting show from an excellent cast. However, it has to be remembered that the cast are only the tip of the iceberg. Much credit has to go to the Creatives behind the scenes.
Director Joyce Branagh has forged a great team to work alongside her with Designer Elizabeth Wright putting the New Vic’s own set and Costume departments to excellent use. Nick Haverson has rapidly become the go-to when a Physical Comedy Director is required and there is very good work from John Harris, Lee Affen and Beverley Norris Edmunds who oversaw the lighting, sound and choreography respectively.
What a way to start a new season of in-house productions. There may be an elderly member of the Conan Doyle Society spitting into his cornflakes today as the New Vic brings a great story from the 1900s bang up to date for the 2020s. However, this production is such great fun to see. Don’t miss it.
The production lasts for approximately 2 hours 40 minutes including interval and continues to March 14th. For ticket information contact 01782 717 962 or tickets@newvictheatre.org.uk
In the audio below, Alyce Liburd and Tom Richardson tell me all about what we can expect from the performance:
