THE PLAY: Based on the original 1899 play, in which the deductive detective tackles the case of a monarch, his former mistress and an implicating photo. Behind it all is his arch enemy, Dr. Moriarty.

 

THE PRODUCTION: A play with a plot this complicated and convoluted needs nimble staging to keep it from bogging down in the actionless narration and contrived plot. This production sometimes succeeds, but never really captures the tension or surprise needed to carry off a mystery. As Holmes, Jeremy Gershman declaims every line with the same loud and assured dominance. The rest of the cast ranges from solid to competent. Director H. Lynn Smith has kept the pace up, but the blocking is often flat and artificial (too many crucial scenes take place behind the scrim). The tech elements ably support the production.

 

THE POINT: This sometimes successful production needs more tension to make the mystery work.

 

(2.5 / 5)

 

At CAT Theatre thru 11/8