The Secret of Sherlock Holmes

For all the devilish hounds, imperiled heiresses and dastardly criminals, it's the relationship between the great detective and his long-suffering flatmate that provides the impetus for Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes stories. Jeremy Paul's concise Two-hander cleverly exploits this and zooms in on the fascinating dynamics of the partnership, recognising that the greatest mystery of the tales is Holmes' enigmatic character itself.

The play traces the reminiscences of Dr. Watson (Philip Franks), as he recalls his life with Holmes (Peter Egan) from their first meeting through the amusingly prickly bickering of their life at 221B Baker Street, to Holmes' struggle with his nemesis Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls, and finally his miraculous return to life and reunion with Watson.

In a piece so intent on eschewing action for psychological exploration, it's fortunate that the acting is so impressive. The leads' sharp interplay is the real highlight of the piece; particularly in the first act, where Watson's wry assessments of his flatmate's foibles raise a number of laughs from the King's Theatre audience. Franks is excellent in capturing Watson's stolid Victorian decency, while the calculating precision of Egan's Holmes convincingly conveys both the detective's cold brilliance, and the drug-addicted fragility of his character. Egan and Franks are aided by Simon Higlett's set, in which the wonderfully opulent Baker Street lodgings shift seamlessly into the wilds of Reichenbach and the bustling, savage slums of London.

It must be said that the strength of the acting and set breathe dynamism into what would otherwise be a rather staid and immobile work, and The Secret of Sherlock Holmes suffers greatly from its slavish following of the original Conan Doyle stories; to those familiar with them, the twists of the plot are already known, while anyone without a good knowledge of the originals will be cast adrift in a sea of references and allusions that will mean nothing. However, in drawing the narrative focus so tightly in, the play reveals new insights into into two of British literature's most enduring characters, and provides an entertaining evening of Victoriana.