When it to comes to portrayals of Sherlock Holmes there's something to be said for an actor with musical skill. Nicholas Thompson's production of A Study in Scarlet may not be blindingly original, but when Philip Benjamin deftly scrapes away at the strings of a violin, he certainly looks the part of fiction's most famous detective.
Arthur Conan Doyle’s mysteries, fun though they are, do not lend themselves naturally to the stage and A Study in Scarlet poses a particular problem with a lengthy and unwelcome flashback to the deserts of Utah, abandoning our beloved protagonists midway through the story. Greg Freeman and Lila Whelan’s adaptation cuts up this laborious chunk, flicking between the London murders and the polygamous Mormon melodrama, so we’re never away from Baker Street long enough to get homesick.
The young cast double up in multiple roles with aplomb, though occasionally their high energy translates to rushed lines and flailing hand gestures.
In addition to an able musician, Benjamin is an appealing Holmes and plays well off Edward Cartwright’s Watson, who has mastered his expression of awestruck bewilderment and provides some of the production’s best deadpan comedy: “Urgh. Americans”.
Audience members accustomed to modern versions of Holmes aren’t likely to end the evening converted from the Cult of Cumberbatch, but there’s fun to be had with Tacit Theatre’s more traditional approach.
Until April 12 (020 7407 0234, southwarkplayhouse.co.uk)