MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON – APT. 2B at the Dorset Theatre Festival is a rollicking and thoroughly entertaining farce currently onstage at the Dorset Theatre Festival in Vermont. Award-winning playwright Kate Hamill provides a new twist on that classic sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his partner in crime-solving, Dr. Watson. Described as a comedy intent upon “cheerfully desecrating the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,” in Hamill’s pastiche we are transported not to the London of 1887 but to the London of 2022. This Sherlock (not “Shirley”) is female and driven by the passion to “deduct.” The housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, brings in a potential roommate for the eccentric Ms. Holmes. That roommate is Jean (“not a doctor”) Watson, who is a mystery herself, so the stage is set for a slew of crime solving antics. 

One of the most produced playwrights in the country, Hamill’s adaptations and reinterpretations of the classics, especially her new feminist takes on Jane Austen novels, offer new perspectives and insights with contemporary social commentary. This fresh approach to the classic Sherlock Holmes stories satisfies our desire to follow Sherlock through labyrinthine switchbacks of several mysteries, but it also effectively incorporates a female Watson with PTSD following the COVID world pandemic. Although she claims that she is not a doctor, we learn her backstory and how dealing with the COVID pandemic has uprooted her life and personal identity, forcing her to try to find out who she is and how to handle her own compassion.

It is a brilliant concept. As we all emerge from the horrors of the pandemic, who doesn’t look for answers? One character observes that mysteries, give us hope that we will get to the solution of the problem. But the play also posits – what if there are no answers? Watson’s struggle feels authentic and sensitive as Covid recedes into the background, leaving emotional scars and disorientation.

Director Aneesha Kudtarkar has assembled an impressive cast who turn in some remarkable performances – both as individuals and as a well-tuned acting ensemble. Her staging is inventive and engaging and she has a strong hold on the genre of farce and parody. Sara Haider takes on the challenge of Sherlock with gusto—fully embracing the manic and often infuriating character. She brings energy and grace to the role, although she is a bit hard to understand at times because of her accent, her vocal speed and over-projection. Nessa Norich offers a genuine and likeable Watson. She effectively conveys the existential angst that has catapulted her towards an unknown future, but also gives full measure to the warmth and compassion that is fundamental to who she is. Francesca Fernandez is truly marvelous and inventive in a trio of roles. As Sherlock’s housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson, she is in a continual farcical panic. As the mysterious Mrs. Drebber she fully embraces a Jekyll/Hyde character. Fernandez is outstanding as the famous Holmes character, Irene Adler—she is completely in control of a character who is glamourous, sexy, and lethal.  

This multi-talented cast is rounded out with Michael Frederic who is a master of comic timing and yet subtle and nuanced in his multiple roles. His inspector Lestrade is all charmy/smarmy and a bit of a rube. As the nefarious billionaire Elliott Musk, he is sleezy and coldly ambitious. Frederic then smoothly transforms into the quintessential master criminal, Moriarty. Nothing is missed and everything is wildly comical.

The ensemble never flags and its energy – the complicated plots are laced with hilarious, cultural references from Arthur Conan Doyle to Star Wars to Watson’s passion for Doritos and kittens. There is swordplay and gun play and murder – all staged effectively by director Kudtarkar and movement director Charlotte Bydwell.

Clearly there is a lot of enjoy in MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON – APT. 2B, but at times it seems a bit too much. The running time of the play is 2½ hours with one short intermission. Perhaps playwright Hamill’s passion for theatre blinded her to the fact that post-Covid audiences are embracing shorter works. (Is it because we were uneasy sitting close together as we emerged from the pandemic? )Watson’s identity crisis is both interesting and important to present on our stages and the balance between that story and Sherlock’s crime solving would be better if some of the plot reversals in Act I were trimmed down. Nevertheless, the spectators in the full house on Opening Night were unanimously enthusiastic for this clever and amusing play.

Costume designer Mariko Ohigashi created a unique look for the show – attractive, imaginative, and functional for the quick changes. Michael Costagliola provided a fabulous sound design and Jackie Fox’s lighting design was most effective. Sarah Karl’s scenic design is difficult to assess, not knowing the script or the technical parameters of the Dorset Theatre building. The play was set in the run-down flat on Baker Street, which was detailed and fully realized. But the play calls for multiple locations and special effects. Karl’s solutions did not seem to be as elegant or quick as needed to keep the momentum going. 

In spite of such quibbles, MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON – APT. 2B at the Dorset is tons of fun and a delightful evening of theatre. It is well worth the drive up to Dorset, Vermont. Even as the play presents “cheerful desecration” of the Sherlock stories, it also examines some profound questions about post-pandemic life and acknowledges that shrewd unemotional analysis is well-served by a heavy dose of humanity and compassion. MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON – APT. 2B manages to do that with great charm, humor, and the undeniable magic of the theatre. 

Credits
Playwright: Kate Hamill

Director: Aneesha Kudtarkar

Movement Director: Charlotte Bydwell

Set Design: Sarah Karl

Lighting Design: Jackie Fox

Costume Design: Mariko Ohigashi

Sound Design: Michael Costagliola

Cast:

• Sherlock Holmes – Sara Haider
• Dr. Joan Watson – Nessa Norich
• Irene Adler, Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Drebber – Francesca Fernandez
• Moriarty, Lestrade, Elliott Monk – Michael Frederic

Information

The Dorset Theatre Festival production of MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON – APT. 2B runs August 11 – 26, 2023, Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday at the Dorset Playhouse, 104 Cheney Rd, Dorset, Vermont 05251. The box office may be reached by calling (802) 867-2223 ext. 101, Wednesday through Saturday, 12 – 6 pm and Sunday 12 – 4 pm. For more information, or to purchase tickets online, visit www.dorsettheatrefestival.org.

Running time: 2 ½ hours with intermission