Arts and Culture Editor Christian O’Brien writes about his experience of watching the Bailey Theatre Company’s freshers’ play, ‘Sherlock Holmes’, having ran on the 8th and 9th of February 2025.
Having spoken to the Sherlock Holmes team just a few days before the weekend, there was much anticipation to be had about how the dozen or so cast and crew would bring the story of Holmes’ adventure to life on the stage. With an amazing line-up of first-year actors and producers from St. John’s and other colleges, the production was bound to excite.
And indeed, walking into Leech Hall on the evening of Sunday the 9th, I was already impressed with the effort taken to make sure the show flowed smoothly. Late-Victorian music, as though it could have been playing from 221B Baker Street itself, filled the hall whilst I took my seat. Although the show’s director, Lenna Lyons, had pointed out that there were, of course, limited resources in creating Sherlock Holmes, much effort had clearly been put into making the stage as vibrant as it could be with a leather couch, a desk (complete with a shaded lamp and hand-made books on top) alongside many other improvised props used throughout – a particular favourite of mine being a banana used to represent a revolver!
On to the production itself, I was highly impressed by the great level of acting and commitment given by each actor into their parts, including some who had to double-up on certain roles, as it is definitely not easy having to change characters so quickly. These stellar performances emphasised the show’s versatility, with dry British humour sprinkled on in some scenes juxtaposed by moments of tension and emotion in others. As such, Sherlock Holmes remained a fun and enjoyable watch throughout, with the cast adding in some levity, a must-have for any interpretation of the eccentric London detective and the characters surrounding him. Yet in areas, I could sense that the scenes felt like they were dragging somewhat, however as I was told behind-the-scenes, this was – understandably – very much up to the limitations of the script itself.
I also enjoyed the general sound and lighting, with music and sound effects used effectively to build scenes whilst still leaving enough room for the on-stage performances. Again, a few light touches were added with the use of some more humorous sound effects (such as the use of a ‘Ring’ camera doorbell for Moriarty’s telephone). Another novel idea was the introduction of two themed drinks served in John’s Bar, the alcoholic ‘Sherlock’ and non-alcoholic ‘Watson’, which many of my friends happily chatted over during the interval.
Overall, the Bailey Theatre Company’s freshers’ play this year was a real delight, with excellent acting and production quality across the board. As such, I am looking forward to all the future shows lined up for the rest of the academic year, including the annual musical, and hopefully, the wider John’s community should be too!
Image Credit: Harry Cordeaux/The Bailey Theatre Company
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