What makes Blackeyed Theatre’s Sherlock tick…?

Sherlock Holmes poster

Blackeyed Theatre’s production of Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four takes to our stage at the end of the month.

It looks set to be another great production from “One of the most innovative, audacious companies working in contemporary English Theatre” – The Stage.

Sue at Muddy Stilettos had a chance to catch up with Sherlock himself in this recent interview that you can read part of below:


Is it daunting playing a character as well-loved as Sherlock Holmes?

I’ve done quite a lot of Shakespeare and those parts have all been played before by big names but for some reason they didn’t bother me quite as much. Someone said to me ‘Sherlock Holmes is the Victorian Hamlet – everyone’s had a go’.

I decided I just had to approach it in my own way. I’ve watched Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr and enjoyed them but our version is much more grounded in the book and Victorian London. As it’s the second novel Conan Doyle was still building the image of him.

How modern is the staging?

The structure of the play and the design and costumes and the language are traditional but the staging is very modern. We’re all on stage all the time. When were not in a scene we sit at the back. It’s part of a way of acknowledging we’re playing a part to the audience. The set is very symbolic, India and London, it’s a lovely mix of modern and traditional. We also have live music – some characters are playing three instruments each.

 

Read the full interview, here

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