ICT Rep’s ‘Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apr. 2B’ gives sleuth gender-bend, modernization
This isn’t your mother’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Wichita Repertory Theatre’s “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apr. 2B,” playing this weekend, is a modern and often comedic take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s master sleuth.
“It’s a savvy little play,” ICT Rep artistic director Julie Longhofer said. “It’s got good comedy in it all throughout, but it also has some original flair with stylistic things. There’s a little bit of film noir, a little bit of comic horror-suspense stuff.
“At the heart of it, the characters are very, very well-drawn and there are a few serious moments for Watson and Holmes and a couple of the supporting roles. They’re written with some nice psychological depth, and I think the play will connect really well with audiences,” she added.
Written by Kate Hamill, who specializes in “feminist reinterpretations of classics,” Longhofer said, the play is set in London in 2021, mid-COVID. Dr. Joan Watson, Holmes’ new roommate in London, is a New York ER physician exhausted from the pandemic.
“It’s a person who exists, a person who’s real,” said Tessa Seybert, who plays Watson. “We all had to figure out where we go next, and we don’t think we’ll be living with Sherlock Holmes. This show plays with the truth and things that are really grounded in our world and also quite absurd in a way.”
Despite the modern setting and gender-bending, some things haven’t changed about Holmes.
“Sherlock Holmes as a character still speaks in Victorian phraseology – he still says ‘Hark!’” said Charlene Grinsell, who plays the detective. “She does not use the internet or any modern detecting methods. But her sensibilities are not very Victorian, and her morals are very modern with the way she sees the world.”
Longhofer said “Holmes & Watson” was a surprise hit for Kansas City Rep when it debuted the show in early 2022, outselling every show in the year other than “A Christmas Carol.” It’s already been one of the most-produced plays of the season nationwide.
Working with the cast, Longhofer said, has been enjoyable.
“I always love every cast I work with, but this cast has gelled really nicely,” she said. “We’ve been very aware we haven’t had any strange hiccups to overcome with illness or conflict or anything like that. You have to be grateful to have a great group of people who love working together and love what they’re doing.”
‘MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON – APT. 2B’
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 14-15 and Sunday, Nov. 17; 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16
Where: Welsbacher Theatre, WSU Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th St. North (Door F, northeast side)
Tickets: $30, with discounts for seniors, at ictrep.org