The Hound of the Baskervilles, Illyria Outdoor Theatre Review

Written by Hollie for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

Caution: This production includes pretend Gun fire. 

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Sherlock Holmes has been a firm favourite with audiences across the world from the first publication of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s first novel in the series. The Hound of the Baskervilles was the third of four crime novels published by Doyle and based on Holmes and his ever loyal partner, Dr. Watson. In the early 1900s, the novel was published in the Strand Magazine and readers were keen to find out what happened next, as the novel was serialised and played out over several months. 

This adaptation by outdoor theatre company Illyria brings this famous and popular detective story to modern audiences across the country this summer. It is Illyria’s 33rd consecutive touring season, and they have entertained audiences this year with shows including Romeo and Juliet, The Gondoliers and The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle.

At Leicester’s De Montfort Hall on a sunny Sunday in August, the audience donning their Sherlock hats and scarves were ready to watch the play unfold, whilst sipping their Pimms and Prosecco on their picnic blankets. This production is accessible to all ages with families and teenagers, as well as couples enjoying the show on the lawn of the hall. 

There are only four actors performing on a small stage at the mercy of the elements and I was interested to see how this well-known story would transpire onto the stage. 

This easy summer evening show tells the story of the Baskerville family who live in fear of a legend that has supposedly been cursing them. The legend has it that Sir Hugo Baskerville was killed by a demonic hound and that hound has haunted Dartmoor ever since. It is up to Sherlock and Dr. Watson to find out the truth with the help of their magnifying glasses and the characters they meet along the way. 

With the melancholy moor and the midnight moon rising above Baskerville Hall, this production is based heavily on the dialogue of the characters as there is minimal staging and props. Stuart Tavendale who plays Dr. Watson narrates the story superbly and this allows the audience to follow the story clearly. 

In this story, there are several subplots as well as red herrings but also it bridges across two genres, the detective genre as well as the horror genre. These themes and plots were beautifully explored and executed by the actors and it left the audience on edge wanting to find out more, just as the story had done in the 1900s in the magazine. 

Julian Brett, who played Sherlock Holmes, rounded off the story brilliantly when they explained the mystery of the real events that had happened. As Holmes says himself “the past and the present are my field of inquiry.” 

You can become a detective yourself and watch Illyria’s production of The Hound of the Baskervilles until September 15th at a range of properties around the U.K. including The Crichton in Dumfries, Hanbury Hall in Droitwich and the Merlin Theatre in Frome. 
★ ★ ★ ★