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REVIEW | The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre - Chester
- Harry Brogan
- Jul 26
- 3 min read
AD | Tickets gifted in exchange of an honest review
A new adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has made its debut at the Open Air Theatre at Grosvenor Park, Chester, and is running as part of its summer series of shows. This specific adaptation follows renowned detectives Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, as they’re thrown into their most personal, yet intriguing adventure.
The quality of this particular production was fantastic, with many of the actors playing multiple different roles throughout the show, as well as there being actor-musician’s involved too. The main roles of Watson and Holmes were portrayed fabulously by Alyce Liburd and Ethan Reid, each bringing a sense of class to the titular roles, whilst also effectively bringing a modern edge to the characters. I’d also like to give a mention to the fabulous ensemble, who were the ones balancing playing multiple roles, alongside some of them playing musical instruments. The dynamics between the cast, as a whole, was fantastic too, with the transitions between characters being smooth, and the addition of the musical instruments being played by the actors made the experience really enjoyable. In addition to the main cast, there’s a community company involved, which gives some a brilliant and different layer to the show, especially at the start.
The plot was another thing that I really liked about The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Writer Molly Taylor managed to provide a brilliant adaptation of famous stories for a more modern audience, as well as bringing in so many local landmarks and cities, such as Liverpool and the park itself, and also bringing in interactions with the audience multiple times throughout. I didn’t know what to expect with it being a modern adaptation of something so historically popular, but it worked perfectly, with the wrap-around and connections at the end providing the perfect ending to the show. I also think it worked perfectly in the park - as the theatre’s in the round, so it felt very immersive, letting us feel more connected with the actors on stage, and the overall story.
On top of it working perfectly in the round, the set and costumes, by Designer Jess Curtis, were perfect for the space that the cast were working in. The mix of old fashioned style costumes for Holmes and Watson, in comparison to the more modern costumes used in some scenes, clearly highlighted the mix of old and modern, perfectly capturing the essence of the production. In terms of the set, they were limited with regards to space, due to it taking place in a confined space of the park, but it worked brilliantly, with additional smaller set pieces highlighting a transition in scenes for the audience.
Considering that they were working in a more confined space than what they might be used to, it still felt as if the set captured the story as good as if it was in a different theatre. Lighting and Sound was designed by Ieuan Reeve and Dan Bradley, highlighting the successful transitions between scenes, as well as then added sounds throughout the show. Even as it was getting darker, the lighting was designed that well you couldn’t really tell that it was almost dark by the time the production ended
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this production of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and how well it worked in a modern direction, in such a unique space too. Molly Taylor and Ellie Hurt (Director) managed to make the production work in such a professional way that you couldn’t tell that everything was taking place in a theatre located in a busy park in a city centre. The fact that all the shows are captioned too is a good step in terms of accessibility for everyone wanting to attend the show, and I hope that all productions in the park continue to do this in the future.
★★★★★
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is running at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in Chester until August 31st, alternating with other productions in the park
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