Photo by George Katsekes Jr
Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, currently showing at Sunset Playhouse, is an adaptation by Steven Dietz based on William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1899 play Sherlock Holmes. Featured in Dietz’s show are two of Canan Doyle’s more famous shorts stories, “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Final Problem,” seamlessly combined into one continuous two-hour plotline.
While the script is a bit prolix, Dietz adds some witty lines and twists that offer an interesting look into Holmes’ “frantic attempt to escape the doldrums” of his existence. James Santelle plays the beloved sleuth who is trying to take down nemesis Moriarty while also helping the King of Bohemia recover a photograph from famous opera singer Irene Adler. The cases are, in true Holmesian fashion, connected and Santelle presents a believable keen eye for detail mixed with a nice touch of humor.
Raffaello Frattura is Holmes’ trusted friend, Doctor Watson, as well as the show’s spritely narrator. Frattura and Santelle share a wonderful chemistry onstage, with Watson refusing to leave Holmes’ side and Holmes only wanting to keep his closest companion safe. While the pair’s accents were not consistent and lines were stepped on a few times, their solid rapport and strong scenes together made up for the occasional slip.
Dave Boxhorn as the King of Bohemia is quite brilliant, portraying the distraught lover with liveliness and wonderful expression. Boxhorn is a pleasure to watch, as he is actively engaged in each scene and offers great emotional highs and lows. Professor Moriarty was played deliciously by Tim Kietzman in a brilliant performance as a snaky criminal out to rid the world of the top crime solver. His villainous aura and captivating vocals were quite enthralling.
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Additional delights are Amber Regan as Irene, who is a firecracker as an opera diva; Abby Stein as Madge Larrabee, who gives us wonderful accents and a compelling performance as the sister of a criminal; and Jim Donaldson as the feisty Sid Prince, one of Moriarty’s goons. Sunset’s costume design by Joanne Cunningham was lavish and impressive, and the striking set by John R. Dolphin and Nick Korneski was detailed and effectively transported us through some 20 different locations.
Through Sept. 27 at Furlan Auditorium, 800 Elm Grove Road. For tickets, call 262-782-4430 or visit sunsetplayhouse.com.
