April 23, 2013
AlmemarApril 18, 2013
By Rachel Levine
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Everyone has a favorite Bond.
But a favorite Sherlock Holmes? Not so elementary, my dear reader.
I’m partial to BBC’s Benedict Cumberbatch, but Robert Downey Jr. has been a favorite actor since I was 12. Basil Rathbone set what some believe to be an unreachable bar, only to face competition from Jeremy Brett. Into this confounding whodunit-best mystery steps local sensation Jay Baruchel to add to the list of possible suspects.
Baruchel is starring in the Segal Centre’s upcoming production Sherlock Holmes. Inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and written by the late Greg Kramer, the Segal’s production brings Sherlock Holmes to the stage as he struggles to solve a mystery involving a kidnapped politician.
Segal Centre artistic director Paul Flicker deduces the motives behind the play.
“The production was the result of a couple of serendipitous moments,” Flicker says. “I was emailing back and forth with Greg [Kramer] trying to settle on a play to commission him to write. Since we are a classical theatre, we were thinking of adapting a classical work. Finally, he sent me an email suggesting Sherlock Holmes. I wrote back, ‘Greg Kramer, I love you.’”
Flicker initially gave Kramer several years to write the play, but a meeting with Jay Baruchel set events in motion much faster than intended. “At the same time, I was writing to Jay to discuss the possibility of him appearing in a production,” Flicker says. ”I offered him some shows, Harold and Maud or The Graduate. But what he really wanted to do was play Sherlock Holmes.”
He got on the horn immediately. “I called Greg and told him,‘We’re doing it next year! Start writing!’”
From there, Flicker assembled a crack team. Up-and-coming director Andrew Shaver was the ideal match for Kramer’s solid theatrical grounding and Baruchel’s hip, youthful appeal. Of course, even the best production lineup is nothing without a great script. Kramer’s has Sherlock investigating the abduction of Lord Nevil, a member of Britain’s House of Lords. All the familiar characters are woven in: Watson, Moriarity, Moran, Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson, and even an iteration of Irene Adler, along with elements of other mysteries from the Holmes canon.
Flicker says that audiences should be ready for a Kramer-esque treatment of Homes. “It’s irreverent and classical at the same time,” he says. “It’s set around the aftermath of the British Opium Wars, and the play deals with whether to criminalize or legalize opium.”
The production also reflects the influence of recent Sherlock Holmes reboots. The Segal production stars a youthful Holmes, much like BBC’s Sherlock, since Baruchel and Karl Graboshahs (Watson) are in their early 30s. The Victorian setting of the books is maintained, but like the recent Robert Downey Jr. films, a steampunk side is evident. “The design incorporates video, and has a huge soundscape. It’s a cinematic undertaking,” Flicker says. “[Kramer] had a punk background and he lent it a steampunk ambiance. Some elements might be out of period or anachronistic, but it’s more accessible for a modern audience.”
Anticipation for the show is high. “I didn’t realize what a draw Sherlock Holmes was,” says Flicker. Ticket sales are up, especially Internet sales, and the show is close to sold out. “Don’t wait to get your tickets!”
For all the positive energy and enthusiasm, the show also serves as a tribute to its writer. Kramer was supposed to play Lestrade in the production, but he passed away on April 8, less than a month before the opening. “It’s a huge loss,” says Flicker.“He left us this fantastic script. The day he passed away, he sent us a final revised draft.”
“He left us an amazing production and we’re doing our best to make sure we do justice to his final masterpiece.”