'Bad acting, dodgy scenery, ropey dialogue' - The Hound of the Baskervilles at the Lace Market Theatre

'You have to laugh out loud at the over-the-top mime and mis-timed sound effects'

That glorious spoof version of The 39 Steps was at the Lace Market Theatre six years ago with Matthew Huntbach in the lead. Anyone who saw it will have a rough idea of what to expect with The Hound of the Baskervilles – by coincidence, directed by Huntbach.

Right from the start you have to laugh out loud at the over-the-top mime and mis-timed sound effects. And this is followed by a jokey bit where the actors step out of the play to offer advice to the audience.

The whole evening is made up bad acting, professional rivalries showing through the performances, dodgy scenery and accents, and ropey dialogue – “I haven’t yet come to any conclusive conclusion”, says Sherlock Holmes, sucking on a giant, permanently unlit meerschaum.

Only, of course, the play isn’t any of these things.

Three actors, John Parker, Richard Young and Lace Market Theatre newcomer Jamie Goodliffe, achieve the illusion of incompetence by deploying high-level comic timing, first-class teamwork in 18 different parts, and an obvious willingness to take risks.

So is the hilariously inept projected filming, used to fill the famous duo in on the back-story.

There are many wonderful moments: the bit where Watson and Sir Henry keep sinking into a bog; the tango, danced by Parker as a fiery Spanish beauty, and Young as Watson; Goodliffe, as Yokel 2, dispatching a dear little lamb he’s trying to sell; and the outrageous laughing scene.

There’s also a bit where some poor struggling theatre critic takes it in the neck.

Originally conceived by Peepolykus Theatre Company, this is an obvious must-see for any student of comedy, as well as for the person who just wants to have a good laugh.

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"The Hound of the Baskervilles"
Nottingam Lace Market Theatre

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic winter thriller is not being taken seriously by the Lace Market Theatre – but that is how they have planned it to be. It’s a spoof of the classic tale so don’t worry, I’m not being derogatory!

The story has been adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholson into something similar to “The 39 Steps”, but with flashes of The Two Ronnies, Monty Python and through to The Young Ones and The Sooty Show (honestly), with even a nod to Strictly Come Dancing along the way.

There is a curse on the Baskerville family and the latest victim is Sir Charles Baskerville. Enter the great Sherlock Holmes and his trusty side kick, Dr John Watson, determined to unmask the killer before another victim falls prey to the infamous hound.

Before the story really gets going though there's an introduction to the actors and their roles which really gets you in the mood for a brilliant night of fun and frivolities.

A cast of three play all the parts in this fast paced comedy, with even faster costume changes. A plethora of accents as well as props are abound, creating mischief, mirth and merriment.

When you think back to the classic films and the various Holmes and Watsons, you always have the idea that it is Watson who is the quiet hero of the piece , letting Holmes be the one to take all of the credit. In this production that scenario is the same and Holmes seems to take a back seat to Watson in this breakneck theatrical piece.

Mr John Parker plays Sherlock Holmes, as well as six other parts, This man never seems to get out of breath despite racing around the stage in various guises. And I still reckon that if there is a theatre version of "Rising Damp", then John will be the only one who can play Rigsby. He has very expressive eyebrows as well!!

Mr Richard Young is Doctor Watson, and two other characters and while trying to be the more serious of the characters, there were wonderful breaks from the "seriousness" with some crazy facial expressions.

Mr Jamie Goodliffe plays Sir Henry Baskerville and all the other parts. Thankfully we also discover at the end of the play where his trousers keep disappearing to, and that one shoe.

All three actors show what talented character and comic actors they are with a talent for a certain amount of ad-libbing, just long enough to cover the quick changes for the other actor to return to the stage, when requred.

Possibly one of the fastest plays I have seen, and most definitely one of the funniest and manic with so many nods to many comedy kings through the decades. You'll feel out of breath just trying to keep up with this masterclass of farce and spoofdom. the comedy covers many idioms; physical, mime, men dressed as women - with or without beards - and a lot of silliness bordering at times on slapstick. there's even the odd break of character to comment on the stage managers, who would have earned their money on this run, if only they were getting paid for it!

Directed by Mr Matthew Huntbach, who I know has a love of great comedy and spoof, so this is right up his alley. This isn't just pacy, this is breakneck.

There are so many things, as a reviewer and audience member, that I was so impressed with. The sound effects designer, Darren Coxon played an absolute blinder in this show, and that sound effect "timing" also created several of the comic moments itself.

Brilliant Lighting design by Phil Anthony all added to the whole atmosphere of the play.

In the spirit of panto, this is an alternative to panto but still also provides a lot of classic panto style fun which i know will be loved by all age groups.

You will, however, be extremely lucky if you want to get a ticket for this show because every single night is sold out, even before the doors opened tonight, but it’s always worth checking in at the box office for any return tickets or cancellations.

It’s brilliant as someone who loves the theatre to see this in local theatre, especially when the theatre itself is hidden away from the main roads in the Lace Market. It shows that theatre goers are faithful to the Lace market and that the best advertisement is word of mouth and social media because being sold out is not a rarity at the Lace Market Theatre, so you have to get in there pretty sharpish! At least before Saturday 15 December 2018.

It doesn’t take a great mind to deduce that this production is non-stop fun from start to end and is going to be another massive success for the Lace Market Theatre; it’s elementary my dear reader!

Oh, and make sure that you buy a programme (£1.00 - cheap at half the price, so buy two) and see if you can spot even more spoofing throughout. I now know what a fire-place pilot is but any ideas what a dog wrangler is? Anyone?

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Theatre Review: Hound of the Baskervilles at the Lace Market Theatre

We got down to Lace Market Theatre to check out The Hound of the Baskervilles...

There were, perhaps, a handful of audience members expecting a rather more faithful enacting of Conan Doyle’s gothic detective masterpiece as we settled into our seats in the intimate Lace Market Theatre. Though how this expectation could have survived the auditorium soundtrack being interrupted by spoken word advertisements for “Rawlinson’s Gentlemen’s Waxing Wax” is hard to say. When the curtains open, on one side of the stage is the door to 221B Baker Street, with the scrawled sign beneath: “Also Baskerville Hall”. Something is afoot, and it’s not a straight-faced drama.

This is a spoof, performed by just three actors: John Parker, Richard Young and Jamie Goodliffe remarkably covering fourteen characters between them, in addition to playing melodramatic versions of their own actor selves. Originally conceived by theatre company Peepolykus in 2006, it is a fast-paced play, still more or less faithful to Conan Doyle’s plot, but played for laughs throughout.

Directed at the Lace Market Theatre by Matthew Huntbach, the witty dialogue and humorous overacting came to the fore. There is something for everyone, from slapstick and mime, to wordplay, and out and out jokes. Plus a badly danced tango. As panto season approaches, some of the most hilarious moments came with the deliberate "mistakes" and out-of-character asides. A film piece showing a "flashback" is worthy of being a comedy short in its own right.

Perhaps the most concentrated spell of hilarity comes immediately after the interval, when the actors perform, in response to a critical tweet, a compressed "recap" of the first act, a kind of madcap greatest hits of the jokes that have gone before. The second half also contains a delightful stream of Victorian insults from Watson, including "beef cheeks" and "rat-faced mountebank."

If there is a criticism of this performance it is that, with so many quickfire jokes, some of them are bound to miss their mark. Someone in the audience laughed at every joke, but just a few gags got the entire audience laughing. Towards the end of the first half, comic timing seemed to slip and the comically overacted dialogue became a little shouty. If the actors were tiring, it would be understandable, such was the energy they infused into every moment. But they brought it back for the second half, and the tight timing and sharp humour had returned.

A final word must be given to the clever and extraordinary use of props to allow a very simple stage setting to reflect everything from a marshy moor, to a steam train, and a London street.

Recommended for laughs, fun, energy, and for the delightful, witty intellect of this style of comedy theatre. A very enjoyable trip to Dartmoor.

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