It's quite cathartic to put some
thoughts down about a project following its completion.
With the benefit of hindsight you can
look back to where it all started, how it ended up and the trials and
tribulations you faced in between.
I've been looking back further over
everything I've done on the amateur stage since my debut as Bob
Cratchitt at the tender age of 11 and as an actor, I can recall no
greater challenge than taking on the role of Sherlock Holmes.
It's a double-edged sword, you see.
He's one of the most famous literary characters ever, so there's
endless source material and frames of reference for a character who –
in on-screen portrayals - has undergone more regenerations than The
Doctor. So, there's loads to draw from.
However, he's one of the most famous
literary characters ever and anyone who has had any contact with
the numerous books, films or TV series will have an opinion on Holmes
and how he should be played.
For me this brought a lot of pressure
as I hate seeing portrayals of my favourite characters from books
being played atrociously or totally out of keeping with my vision of
said character. So, I read a few of the Holmes stories, watched the
Jeremy Brett version of The Hound, (I'd already borne witness to the
incoherent mumbling of Robert Downey Jnr), closely followed by the
excellent Benedict Cumberbund (sic) version, before finally
consulting with an old chum and fellow board treader who just happens
to be one of, if not THE definitive voices amongst the many Holmesian
societies; Roger Johnson. I heartily recommend his book: The SherlockHolmes Miscellany, which he co-authored with Jean Upton.
However, ours was a period piece and so
I tried to play Holmes of the time with an authoritarian manner, but
tempered with elegance, hints of mischief and driven by the desire to
solve the puzzle whatever the cost. Whether I achieved that or not is
not for me to judge...
Regardless, it's been a fantastic
experience and as I've previously said: hard work, but ultimately
rewarding.
From day one, our director; Gordon
Lawson, had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve and I loved
the fact that he would turn up to rehearsal with books, graphic
novels and other paraphernalia relating to Holmes or the Hound of the
Baskervilles. From this the cast and crew were all pulling in the
same direction and working hard in their respective areas to make
everything the best it could possibly be.
I've really enjoyed working on a
straight play with the likes of Martin Cash (Dr Mortimer) and John
Dodds (Sir Henry), when before we've only ever really played silly
buggers in panto. The scene that was re-written to include Holmes in
the interrogation of Laura Lyons was also a personal favourite as I
really got into the psychological warfare with Jackie O'Sullivan who
played the part of Mrs Lyons.
One of the highlights for me though has
been sharing the stage with Simon Yaxley for the first time. He is an
experienced campaigner, a true gentleman, a total professional and a
very giving actor. For those who might not know what I mean by this:
in performing his own role, he gives you things to
react to and work from. Whether it be a facial expression, body
language or tone of voice it may all sound quite simple
(elementary?), but is in reality quite a hard thing to master. He
does it naturally and I felt that I was able to learn a lot from him.
The five months of intense
line-learning (reading the script at least once a day), rehearsal and
three nights of performance, were as ever over in a flash. On the
final night after the performance, I actually felt quite flat –
possibly because I felt we had another show in us – and didn't stay
too long at the after-show shindig, choosing instead to try and get
an early-ish night so I could enjoy the following day with my new and
recently neglected wife and our son.
I've had some lovely feedback from
friends and colleagues who came to see the show as well as complete
strangers who have come up to me after to tell me they really enjoyed
it and were impressed with the effects and so forth. It's great to
hear and is a nice reward for everyone who has put so much into
making the show happen.
We're now two days after the finish and
already I can feel my brain starting to relax with the realisation
that it doesn't have to retain lines any longer. Little by little it
is already starting to let them slip away – I just hope that I do
not lose anything important in the process!
Thanks to all the cast and crew for the
fun and laughter along the way and in particular thanks to Gordon for
giving me the opportunity to play The Worlds Greatest Detective.
I'm now going to take a bit of an
am-dram sabbatical to ensure that I spend some quality time with my
family in a bid to nail the greatest challenge of all: being a good
husband and father.
