★★★★

“complex and baffling and very silly; but intelligent and supremely clever too”

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”. So says Sherlock Holmes, on more than one occasion. A phrase he uses when evidence suggests a scenario is impossible. All the evidence points to “Sherlock Holmes” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre being one such ‘impossible scenario’; one that forces us to reconsider Conan Doyle’s literary legacy in a way that defies logic. What we witness is two and a half hours of barely controlled, but captivating chaos. Joel Horwood’s adaptation is very loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second Sherlock saga, “The Sign of Four”. The phrase ‘playing fast and loose’ comes to mind. The ending for starters – without giving anything way – goes off on its own radical tangent. Holmes (Joshua James) and Watson (Jyuddah Jaymes) are looking for a new case to solve, with little success. All the current newspaper stories are either too dull, or the mystery already solved. In walks Mary (Nadi Kemp-Sayfi) with the answer to their dilemma.

The adventure begins in India during the rule of the British Raj, shortly after the major uprising of 1857, where we are treated to a prologue of sorts that involves three British army officers, a native islander, a stolen treasure chest and plenty of double crossing. Years later, back in England, Mary – whose missing father was one of the army captains – receives a mysterious letter and some valuable jewels as a gift. She seeks out Holmes looking for answers and, without further ado, ‘the game is afoot’.

The turbulence of the ensuing mystery matches the tumultuous, dark clouds that hover overhead threatening to unleash their downpour and wash away any tenuous hold we have on the plot. But we cling on, not for dear life, but for the sheer delight in being swept along by the waves of nonsense, surrealism, slapstick and anarchism. Occasionally it is a little too much. Horwood, along with director Sean Holmes, have thrown a lot of stylistic contrivances into the pot and it seems, at times, that they’ve left it to boil over while being distracted by something else. But, like everything else in this production, it works brilliantly and unexpectedly. Comedy takes centre stage – there are many laughs – often at the expense of the characterisation which is sometimes a little off the mark. Lisa Aitken and Grace Smart’s costumes place the narrative in a dreamlike, music-hall-slash-circus setting, except for Sherlock who is dressed like he’s wandered in from a nineteen-eighties New Romantic nightclub.

Joshua James is channelling Rik Mayall for his portrayal of Holmes, although not so rambunctious as to overshadow the meticulous mind of the great sleuth. Jyuddah Jayme’s Watson is more of an equal than a foil, often in danger of being one step ahead. Kemp-Sayfi, as Mary, epitomises the damsel in distress, but only for a brief second. We think her life depends on the antics of the Baker Street duo; but think again. The supporting cast are all excellent throughout the incredibly fast-paced romp through the narrative and, against the odds, the open-air setting is used to miraculous effect. Escaped zoo animals invade the space; a hot air balloon reaches the treetops and even the tech balcony high above the seating is used – if you care to crane your neck sufficiently. Fire eaters and acrobats are not out of place amongst the ambitious staging.

The second act sees the surrealism take a stronger foothold, but we never lose sight of the underlying political commentary that Norwood emphasises. Mary is seen as a ‘threat to the Empire’; an immigrant at the mercy of a territorial judicial system. Beneath the exuberance of the play is a biting satire and its cloak of humour heightens the relevance. It doesn’t tell us what to think, but it certainly lays down its own views.

There is an irreverence to this interpretation of Conan Doyle’s detective stories, but embedded deep down somewhere, when you find it, there is respect too. We have been led into London’s underworld, but also into Alice’s Wonderland. It is complex and baffling and very silly; but intelligent and supremely clever too. Revolution and rebellion are often messy. “Sherlock Holmes”, in the open air, is a revelation – if not quite a revolution. Messy and rebellious, it is a theatrical extravaganza. And that, “however improbable, must be the truth”.

SHOOTING HEDDA GABLER at the Rose Theatre Kingston

★★★★

“this is an extremely sharp interpretation. Funny and chilling, entertaining and thought provoking”

Henrik Ibsen’s nineteenth century drama, “Hedda Gabler” has often been hailed as a masterpiece and described as a female variation of ‘Hamlet’. And like Shakespeare, Ibsen’s works have also been subject to modern interpretations, twists and re-writes. It is an inevitable exercise with a work that is well over a century old; the success of which largely depends on how much of the original essence is retained whilst striking a chord with contemporary audiences. Nina Segal’s “Shooting Hedda Gabler” scores on both counts with an ingenious unfolding of the story on a twenty-first century film set in Norway.

After being offered the title role in a movie of ‘Hedda Gabler’, an American actress grabs the opportunity as an escape route from Hollywood and a scandal involving a violent run-in with the paparazzi. Although quite a success in America, she feels trapped by her celebrity status and perceived lack of artistic credibility. She is privileged but powerless. Arriving in Norway, however, she is merely powerless. The play opens with a quite remarkable scene during which she is introduced to her fellow cast members and director who not only have little time for her status but openly mock it. The tone is set with a mix of observation, satire and biting humour.

Hedda is in a world she wasn’t prepared for. Reality and fiction become blurred. Interestingly we never learn the names of the actors portrayed in this play – only their character names in the movie shoot – a device which further enhances the indistinction. Antonia Thomas, as Hedda Gabler, pitches the right amount of incredulity with a fierce resilience to keep her head above water and, indeed gives as good as she gets. She is immediately up against Henrik, the demanding and Machiavellian director, who demands that the aim is ‘not to seem to be, but to be’. He will go to any lengths to get the shot. Christian Rubeck is a commanding presence as Henrik who runs his studio like an amoral professor conducting a psycho-scientific experiment.

“The fragile humour gives way to tension as the atmosphere becomes increasingly claustrophobic”

It is a very clever and radical interpretation, but we never lose sight of the parallels with Ibsen’s original, aided by the exemplary performances. Joshua James, as the actor playing Hedda’s husband Jørgen, brilliantly mixes the humble resignation of Jørgen’s character with the aloof arrogance of the actor reluctantly playing a role which he feels is beneath him. Matilda Bailes, as Thea, throws in moments of comedy when it transpires she is also the studio’s therapist and intimacy director. Anna Andresen, as Berta the unappreciated AD, tries to hold it all together with an officiousness that often breaks under Henrik’s dictatorial hand. The fragile humour gives way to tension as the atmosphere becomes increasingly claustrophobic, the suspense further mounting when Henrik calculatedly recruits another movie star and real-life ex-lover of Hedda to play her on-screen ex-lover Ejlert (a charismatic Avi Nash who manages to make the character more tragic than perhaps Ibsen even intended).

If it sounds convoluted on the page, it does actually make sense on the stage and it is at times gripping. The undercurrents are captured, too, by Hansjörg Schmidt’s atmospheric lighting which clearly flickers between the reality, and the unreality when the cameras roll. A prior knowledge of Ibsen’s original is, if not absolutely necessary, a very useful requirement. But Segal has created something unique with this adaptation which could act as a stand-alone commentary on certain unfavourable aspects of today’s film industry. I’m not sure how much we are supposed to analyse the text but there are definite messages about the role of feminism in Hollywood and the more contentious topics of male domination, misogyny, manipulation and abuse. Ibsen predates the golden era of Hollywood in which starlets would customarily be under the control of tyrannical moguls. Segal’s version comes high on the wave that has thankfully brought that to account, and she balances these issues well without them pulling focus from what is a very acute piece of writing.

“Shooting Hedda Gabler” is occasionally surreal, the climax of Act Two perhaps a touch too bizarre, with the question of the current AI controversy and the effects of CGI on moviemaking unnecessarily thrown into the mix. It distances us too much from the heart of the story. But otherwise, this is an extremely sharp interpretation. Funny and chilling, entertaining and thought provoking.

Tag Archives: Joshua James

SHERLOCK HOLMES

★★★★

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

★★★★

“complex and baffling and very silly; but intelligent and supremely clever too”

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Reviewed on 13th May 2026

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Tristram Kenton

SHERLOCK HOLMES

SHERLOCK HOLMES

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Shooting Hedda Gabler

★★★★

Rose Theatre Kingston

SHOOTING HEDDA GABLER at the Rose Theatre Kingston

★★★★

“this is an extremely sharp interpretation. Funny and chilling, entertaining and thought provoking”

“The fragile humour gives way to tension as the atmosphere becomes increasingly claustrophobic”