  Broken Holmes is a literate farce, presenting a murder mystery which satirises Arthur Conan Doyle's convoluted plots, and portraying Sherlock Holmes and Watson as a dysfunctional couple. The denouement concerns the fate of Watson's wife Mary, who was introduced early in the Sherlock Holmes stories but, to the bafflement of Doyle's readers, disappeared almost without mention a few books later. Length: 1 hour Cast: 3m + 1f + 1 puppeteer Set: There are two scenes. Scene One is set in Holmes and Watson's sitting-room in Baker Street, and is written for a minimal set: two chairs, placed in front of the curtain or in a small patch of light. Scene Two is set in a parlour in a stately home. Mention is made of a tea-table, a stocked bookcase and a sofa, and a bell-rope hangs from above. Broken Holmes was first performed on the Edinburgh Fringe 2009, at The Space@Venue 45, directed and produced by the author, with the following cast: Sherlock Holmes - James Bober Doctor Watson - Canavan Connolly Morgana Scarlet - Rebecca D'Souza Inspector Lestrade - Patrick Spragg It went on to run on the Leicester Comedy Festival in 2010, and in the same year was given a staged reading by Cake Productions in New York. Some production photos are here. Reviews from the original run:  "The premise of this one-act play is packed with potential, and Robin Johnson's script does it justice with a sharp, witty mix of Doylean dialogue and modern slang" - Fest "The play is written very, very well: the wit is sharp and acerbic, the characters well-realised, the plot excellent and the rhythm well-timed" - FringeReview"Robin Johnson's script, while demonstrating a detailed knowledge of Conan Doyle's original tales, is an irreverent joy, and its hilarious denouement an absolute jaw-dropper" - Scotsman "The author has managed to weave together observant character humour, continuity references and an obvious love for the subject matter into a story that not only serves as a fantastic Sherlock Holmes play in itself but, more importantly, entertains on its own merits as a dramatic piece" - CallThatAShow (original site down; copy here) I've also kept a copy of all the (overwhelmingly positive) audience reviews from the Fringe 2009 website. Scripts and performance rights may be available direct from the author (email me.) |