Reviews / Moriarty proves a ‘hysterical romp through Holmes’ from Islesburgh Drama Group
REVIEWER Helen Kerr says it is no secret that she is a long-standing superfan of Islesburgh Drama Group – but even their latest production of Moriarty surprised her.
I have been watching and reviewing their productions for years now and what I can honestly say is that they never cease to amaze me.
I have said it before – is there anything this team can’t do?
Islesburgh Drama Group’s most recent thespian offering was in the form of Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty – a hysterical romp through Sherlock Holmes’ attempts to once more thwart his lifelong arch-nemesis.
Returning after their recent pop-up panto to Mareel, Islesburgh Drama Group once more delivered an evening of entertaining, energetic theatre.
Morag Mouat’s direction demonstrated her considerable flair; the pacing, use of space and attention to detail once more reminded me of her theatrical versatility.
Sherlock Holmes, played by Karl Ward, gave a steady performance as the slightly stuffy, slightly awkward detective with a flair for solving mysteries. His sidekick, Watson (superbly played by Cameron Mackenzie), was inserted into the action as both character and narrator.
Deftly handled, Mackenzie presented a warm, loveable version of this well-known character – and not without a good dose of humour.
As for the rest of the cast – there were 22 characters, astonishingly played by onlythree actors! While this seems to have been the original intent of the play, it is certainly no mean feat.
I have reached that age where sometimes I don’t know why I have walked intothe room I am in – so the thought of playing multiple characters, with multiple accents and multiple costume changes is not only impressive but awe-inspiring!
The dialogue between them was fast and funny. David Smith, playing the broad variety of characters from a Bohemian king to Moriarty himself to the female owner of a tavern, did so with pace, wit and skill.
Sometimes, the hilarity itself came from his swift disappearance and reappearance on set, having undergone a costume and accent change in the process!
Donna-Marie Leask and Nicola Fleck played their characters with peak comic timing.Leask’s facial expressions alone were enough to invite considerable amusement from the gleeful crowd.
Again, switching roles, costumes and accents was part of the drill and Leaskdelivered it all with the talent and ability we are well-accustomed to seeing from her.
A stand-out moment for me was when she was in character as Hilda Klebb. Having taken a fancy to poor Watson, who looked equal parts nervous and terrified at her advances, the laughter from the audience was that genuine, out-loud and sincere.
Fleck possesses an equally compelling stage presence. Inhabiting the characters of high-society American, Irene Adler, and cockney scamp Cartwright, she too switched between characters with extraordinary speed and proficiency.
While Mareel is not the natural habitat of Islesburgh Drama Group, they no less use thespace with vision and consideration. The division of the stage into key places workedexceptionally well.
I’ll be honest, I was initially unconvinced that four red chairs to represent a train journey was a good idea. But once Watson (Mackenzie) started bouncing comically to mimic themovement of the train, I quickly shelved that thought.
The serious conversation between Holmes and Watson, who were oblivious to the backdrop of an hilarious fight between Cartwright and Moriarty, reminded me that these stylised choices for set and stage work perfectly when the acting is brilliant and – especially in terms of comic performances – humour is on point.
I love a traditional theatre with the weighty, velvet curtains; the wooden furnishing gently carved with the passage of thousands of audiences over time; the deep, cushioned seats that have held a hundred years of expectant spectators… but Mareel offers great lighting and sound capabilities as well as a modern, fresh space for theatre.
But, as only a superfan might say – when you combine talent, dedication and commitment such as Islesburgh Drama Group’s, you could probably stand in a field and be whisked away to new places, spaces, players and stories.
Sincerely, well done to Islesburgh Drama Group team – you made a lot of people smile last week.
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