Cheriton Players 
Cheriton Village Hall, Cheriton 
Anne Waggott 
4 April 2025
When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on his Dartmoor estate, a look of terror stamped on his face and the paw prints of a gigantic hound beside his body, Sherlock Holmes (the greatest detective of his time) is summoned from Baker Street to solve the case. Accompanied by his faithful companion and fellow sleuth, Dr Watson, they travel to deepest, darkest Devon to unravel the mysteries surrounding Sir Baskerville’s death, and investigate the ancient curse of the Hound of the Baskervilles…
I love a good detective story – and Sherlock Holmes has always been among my favourite fictional detectives, with The Hound Of The Baskervilles a cherished novel. However, if you are expecting a serious rendition of his arguably most famous and best-loved case from the Cheriton Players, then brace yourself… This is anything but a serious rendition! Steven Canny and John Nicholson’s adaptation is an absolutely hilarious and, quite frankly, bonkers version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic tale – and it’s brilliant fun!
From the comical preshow announcements and attention to details in the programme adverts, the tone is set for an evening of rib-tickling spoof entertainment. Stuck-on sideburns, dreadful wigs, quick costume changes, and a deceptively simple set combine to enhance the tongue-in-cheek factors, complimented by an array of effective sound and lighting elements.
Yet, as very good as the production elements are, it is the quality of performances which really lifts this show – and what a mammoth task the cast undertakes! All the essential components, characters and storylines from the novel are present, comically performed by just three actors: Glynn Williams (Sherlock Holmes), David Baldwin (Dr John Watson) and Chris Atkinson (Sir Henry Baskerville).
Each actor has created heightened caricatures of the original principal roles, as well as the numerous supporting cameos they take on, switching between characters using a quick change of costume, addition of props, and amplified physicality and vocal twists. Breaking the fourth wall, they interact as ‘themselves’, fully engaged with the full house in its small and intimate village hall venue. Equally strong as individual actors, they gel together superbly well to create a truly ensemble production.
With the vast amount of dialogue the actors have to learn and multiple personas they have created, it’s understandable that there were a few stumbles on the night, but the way they kept in character (whichever of the numerous identities they were performing at the time!) and the fact that they kept the pace flowing, somehow seemed to add to the overall hilarity.
Director Helena Gomm has overseen a highly entertaining detective parody, ensuring an essentially slick pace and larger-than-life caricatures. At the risk of spoilers for those who aren’t familiar with this skit version, however, the start of the second act would benefit from a further injection of pace to really bring out the satirical aspect of the script at this point. Otherwise, the pace was pretty much spot on, and the evening flew by.
If you are fortunate enough to have a ticket for the final performance tonight, then sit back and enjoy an evening of extremely silly but highly amusing entertainment! If you have missed out (and you will have missed out!), then a word of advice… book earlier for Cheriton Players’ next production. It’s elementary, really!
