Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain at the Kings Theatre Edinburgh Review

Reviewed by Deborah Mackenzie

Simon Reade’s new play is set in the 1920’s, introducing us to an older retired Dr Watson, who is now broadcasting his recollections of the cases with Sherlock Holmes. It one recollection that comes to life on stage.

Sherlock Holmes has retired on the South Coast, keeping bees and doing some fly fishing to occupy himself. But when a body is found on his private beach, his detective instinct is rekindled as he offers help to solve the case.

When Mrs Watson appears at his house saying that she had seen her long dead son; she asks him to return to 221B Baker Street to help solve the mystery. He is reluctant; after a day or two he decides to return to Baker Street to solve the mystery and face his own demons, as he is paranoid that he is an easy target for his enemies.

Gripping and filled with unforeseen twists and turns, with surprising results as Holmes works the case of The Final Curtain.

The cast has many recognisable faces; Robert Powell as Sherlock Holmes has received many awards and a BAFTA nomination for his portrayal of Jesus in Franco Zefferelli’s Jesus of Nazareth. His credits include Holby City on television as well as staring in The Detectives.

Liza Goddard, as Mary Watson, is well loved in the UK; she has an extensive stage and television career. Most recently she starred in the national tour of A Passionate Woman, as well as Relatively Speaking opposite Robert Powel.

Timothy Knightely, as Dr Watson; his recent work includes The Mousetrap and Relative Values in the West End. On television he has been seen in Foyles War, A Touch of Frost and he played Inspector Morse’s solicitor in the final episode of ‘Inspector Morse’.

As the case unfolds, the dry humour is woven into the story to make it gripping as well as entertaining. Some of the effects of how they moved from one scene to the other is clever and symbolically brings the title ‘final curtain’ throughout the show.

It brought back memories of reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £19 to £32.50 (booking fees may apply).

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain is at the Kings Theatre in Edinburgh from 28 May to 2 June 2018, for more information or to book tickets visit www.capitaltheatres.com or call the box office on 0131 529 6000.

King’s Theatre, 2 Leven Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9LQ | 0131 529 6000