by Ian Diddams
images by Ian Diddams and from Devizes Arts Festival
The pea souper smog swirls in the dark. A small light illuminates a bare room – hatstand bare but for a bowler hat, chair, side table with various bric-a-brac. A rug. Music plays in the distance. London, 1916. And The Wharf Theatre stage, 2025… the lights drop to darkness… and the show begins.
Such is the picture provided at the outset of “The Last Act” by David Stuart Davies, on the first of two nights’ shows brought to us by Devizes Arts Festival, performed at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes by Fringe Management. A ninety-minute single hander performance by Nigel Miles-Thomas, directed by Gareth Armstrong, providing a potted history of the lives of Sherlock Holes, “Consulting Detective”, and Dr. John H. Watson – formerly of the parish of Marylebone.
Nigel plays Holmes, of course, and also Watson… but into that also covers Inspector Lestrade, Stamford, Mrs. Hudson, Inspector Hopkins and… arch enemy Professor James Moriarty. This potted history, or timeline of Holmes and Watson’s friendship begins at the occasion of Watson’s funeral, followed by Holmes’ recollections of their partnership marked by key stories in the Sherlock Holmes case history; “The Adventure of Abbey Grange”, “The Speckled Band”, “The Final Problem”, “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and “His Last Bow”. Nigel’s delivery skips nary a beat as his voice changes and facial expressions per character float in and out seamlessly from Holmes’ character as the carefully woven tale even foreshadows itself. We gain an insight into Sherlock’s childhood and brotherly relationship, of his mother and father mirroring the Abbey Grange lead characters, and his father’s death mirroring in portrayal that of Moriarty’s. A description of the wind – “… cried and sobbed like a child in the chimney” is used both in Holmes’ praise of Watson’s descriptive writing and that of his family home.
It is a story ultimately of loneliness and love – Holmes’ solitary lifestyle – but also his attachment to his brother, but especially Watson. And a story written with affection for Conan Doyles’ character, delivered with care by Nigel Miles-Thomas, packaged with fondness by director Gareth Armstrong. Truly a “Last Act” with love for the subject.
The Thursday 5th June performance of “The Last Act” is already sold out, but Devizes Arts Festival continues until Sunday 15th June with a wide range of differing genres and arts to enjoy, with tickets just still available. To see what is available and tickets, browse https://www.devizesartsfestival.org.uk/events/
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