Let me start off by saying what a joy it is this Christmastime for our under-siege city, that the Birmingham REP has given the media something to celebrate, rather than the being the pied pipers of giant rats and a never-ending bin strike.
The theatre was a happy, buzzing place last night for the Press Night of The REP’s production of a brand-new musical play written by and starring two of our greatest comedy actors with songs that have reunited the nation’s most famous musical writing duo.
Picture by Peter Le May. s
‘Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas’ stars Humphrey Ker as Holmes and David Reed as his sidekick Dr Watson – and a very good job they make of it too. Ker uses his lanky frame to create a forensic genius version of Basil Fawlty whilst Reed takes the adulation of his partner-in-crime-solving into the stratosphere. They are natural foils and make for a perfect combination.
Picture by Peter Le May. s
The songs for the show are from the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and it’s the first time the two have worked together since their ‘Evita’ days. All eight numbers (four in each act) are clever and compliment the jumbled story lines – the very moving ‘Houses Are Not Holmes’ sung by Watson being perhaps the most memorable.
The mish-mashed storyline concerns murder most foul by a super serial killer as dictated by the lyrics of the twelve days of Christmas. Along the way, there are plenty of backstories about quirky actors and the lovable daftness of British pantomime. Also hunting the fiend down is a female supersleuth and new kid on the Victorian London block – Athena Faversham; played with a jolly hockey sticks aptitude and feminist swagger by Helena Wilson.
Picture by Peter Le May. s
The hapless and hopeless Inspector Lestrade is well captured by John Kearns who perfectly parodies a combination of every ‘Lestrade’ we’ve seen on screen over the years. Margaret Cabourn-Smith is suitably bossy and bustling as Mrs Hudson, the matriarch of 221A Baker Street. Cameron Johnson plays it wonderfully huge as Arthur Stone and Susan Harrison is a show-stealer in a virtuoso performance as Ernie: the bad ass paperboy.
Mark Bailey’s set is like a series of Christmas cards which open out to feed the senses on the huge Rep stage and directors Philip Green and Becky Hope-Palmer make full use of all Bailey’s clever spaces. Christopher Mundy the Musical director leads a whacky as well as talented band with funky as well as fitting arrangements.
Picture by Peter Le May. s
Sherlock Holmes and the whole excellent company are in situ now until the middle of January and well-earned congratulations to The REP for bucking the traditional Christmas repeats of visits to the Emerald City and Ghouls in chains. In truth, this show may not be seamless but there’s a joyousness in its rambling and delight to be had in the oft naughty text, plus a delicious underbelly for everyone who is – or has ever been – a thespian. Not really for the very young, but for the young at heart this is an absolute Christmas cracker!
The show runs until January 18. Click here for times, tickets and more.
