The Hound Of The Baskervilles is full of suspense as we see Holmes and Watson in this thrilling story of the supernatural, a legend of a curse and of a terrifying beast. Set out on the damp, dark Devonshire Moors this production has everything for a spine-tingling experience the night before Halloween!
After seeing previous musical productions by this group, I was intrigued to find out how a straight play would be performed, and I was not disappointed!
Jake Collyer effortlessly played Sherlock Holmes with confidence and his clear diction was spot on. Supporting him, Benjamin Stein played the role of Dr John Watson with ease, and these two were a perfect pairing on stage, both portraying these characters in their own way.
Kaustubh Jalundhwala portrayed the role of Sir Henry Baskerville with charm, and I cannot fault his acting ability and again clear diction. Jalundhwala certainly maintained his character throughout. Praise must also be given to Flora Gault who played obnoxious Mrs Frankland, and obnoxious she was indeed!
All eleven members of the cast had clear diction and where clearly absorbed by their role on stage and this came across to the audience. They were all incredibly focused.
Rory Dick (Director) should be very proud of the production he staged this evening and, considering this was his directing debut, I am sure we are going to be seeing more of his work in the not so distant future.
The set was minimal, with certain props and furniture which were covered over to portray a different scene and then uncovered to portray the inside of Baskerville Hall. The cast were used to change the scenes and the fluidity of these improved as the evening went on.
A white frame represented the window overlooking the Moors and this was all depicted clearly and cleverly with the use of the sound and lighting team. Creepy, mysterious sound effects added to the onstage drama, as did the use of a smoke machine and clever lighting depicting a moving train across the auditorium.
With only 11 cast members, my congratulations go to each and every one – especially as opening night gave such a minimal audience. I hope that after the hard work that has gone into staging this production, that they receive more support over the next few nights, as it is one not to be missed!
The Hound Of The Baskervilles is currently being performed by students at Southampton University in the Annex Theatre in Southampton and runs until Saturday.