I love Fringe time – Adelaide comes alive for Mad-March, which starts in February. There are so many shows, many returning favourites, and hundreds of new favourites, such as Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act, waiting to be discovered.
Nestled on page 147 of 168 of The Guide between the hundreds (more than 1300 actually) of Fringe shows is Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act. Hubby Barry and I head to one of Adelaide’s old buildings, now a boutique venue for performing artists.
We are directed around the back to almost a mysterious secret entrance to “Studio 166” from the rear of the old theatre, originally the Goodwood Institute built-in 1887. We are filed past a surprisingly well-stocked bar into an extremely small theatre of just four rows, seating approximately 50 patrons. There’s not a spare seat in the house.
Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act is performed by Nigel Miles-Thomas, written by David Stuart Davies and directed by award-winning Gareth Armstrong. Being a newcomer to Sherlock Holmes, I wasn’t sure how much was actual Sherlock Holmes fact and how much was created by the writer, but it didn’t matter. Much of the time, if ever in doubt as to what was going on one minute, it was always made clear in the next.
Nigel Miles-Thomas is an amazingly talented actor who spoke the 65-minute monologue nonstop, not a stumble, not a misstep and held character the entire time; in fact, he apparently had multiple characters, 14 in total.
Father of five and I, husband Barry, are not theatre buffs by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, you more likely find us in the mosh pit at the front of a rock concert like The Angels or The Screaming Jets., therefore my thoughts are from an utterly naïve perspective.
In fact, the reviews from people who know theatre a hell of a lot better than I was so glowing I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it. But I must say Nigel Miles-Thomas grabbed my attention from the moment he walked out onto the sparsely decorated stage, and I did not take my eyes off him for the next hour.
Nigel has had an extensive career spanning five decades. He has worked with Steven Berkoff and performed a leading role in London’s West End and many of the regional theatres in the UK. Nigel has performed internationally in the USA, Europe and Asia. He is well known for his appearances in Doctor Who and many other popular UK programmes.
The story, not to spoil anything, is written to reveal the man behind the myth and expose the great detective’s fears and weaknesses, the devastating consequences of the dramas of his formative years, and, unexpectedly, his cutting sense of humour.
Fringe time is the perfect time to go out and see something new or try something different, and even if you’re usually an anti-theatre buff, I can recommend this one. You’ll thoroughly enjoy it as we did.
Remember to get out when you can, support local talent, and I’ll see you down the front!!
This review also appears on It’s On The House, and check out more reviews at Dark Stories Theatre to see what else is on in your town.
