SHERLOCK HOLMES
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
★★★★
“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”.
SHERLOCK HOLMES
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Reviewed on 13th May 2026
by Jonathan Evans
Photography by Tristram Kenton
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