Good Company Players shares gripping Sherlock Holmes’ cursed tale

Hound of the Baskervilles, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic Sherlock Holmes stories, proves to be just as entertaining as the book. The show opened Aug. 24 and runs until Oct. 15 at Good Company Players’ 2nd Space Theater in downtown Fresno. Hound of the Baskervilles is directed by J. J. Cobbs.

Sir Conan Doyle started writing his legendary story in 1901 after a friend toured him around the Dartmoor Moor in West England. Sir Doyle became fascinated by the many legends surrounding the Moor, including one about a fire-breathing hound. Sherlock Holmes, killed eight years before, came back to solve another mystery.

Gordon Moore (Sherlock Holmes) and Henry Montelongo (Dr. Watson) perfectly capture the charisma of their characters, and

with the help of Jessica Knotts (Mrs. Stapleton), Chase Stubblefield, (Mr. Stapleton) and Alex Vaux (Sir Henry), make it enjoyable to travel back to 19th century West England.

Acting in Hound of the Baskervilles depicted their parts sufficiently. Along with well-maintained accents, the actors from GCP kept their household roles realistic. I thought that Julia Reimer (Mrs. Barrymore) did an especially impressive job staying in character as the butler’s wife. The Hound of the Baskervilles cast provided an interesting night of drama.

Scriptwriter Tim Kelly wrote an effective adaptation of such a dynamic book as The Hound of the Baskervilles is, but I did feel the script contained untapped potential. Recognizing that making minor changes was necessary, I wished the script stuck a little closer to the book. Many iconic Sherlock moments, like Holmes tricking Dr. Watson with one of his many disguises, or Jack Stapleton’s resemblance to Hugo Baskerville, remained unmentioned. However, as a Sherlock fan, enough of Holmes shown through to make me very happy.

Baskerville Hall was the only scene throughout the play, but the cast used it very well. The set comprises of a large Victorian-era couch, a 17th-century fireplace, Sir Henry’s desk and a large portrait of Hugo Baskerville. We did expect to see more of the Dartmoor Moor, but our only view was of thick shrubbery through two glass doors. Nevertheless, I believe the set used the moor in an efficient manner, but could have used it more.

Along with the set, the actor’s costumes help the audience believe they are watching a real Sherlock mystery. Costumes are accurate to the time period and do not distract from the plot. The props, for the most part, helped the believability of the story. My only complaint was some of the documents, which, according to Holmes, dated in “the late 17th century,” lacked the aged look.

We both enjoyed the entire experience, from entering, to the intermission and to the final bow. We especially enjoyed the concessions available at intermission, which were very well priced, as everything is a dollar, and taste delicious. Our favorite moment of the play happened when Holmes first walked in Baskerville Hall, surprising everyone with how much he already knew. Just like in the book, the audience was kept waiting for Sherlock’s simple, but fascinating explanation. All and all, the evening was enjoyable as Good Company Players gave us an entertaining and well-priced event. 

We would strongly suggest watching Hound of the Baskervilles to high schoolers, as it is an entertaining way to experience a great work of literature by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It is rated PG. Tickets can be purchased at GCP’s website, on the phone at (559) 266-0660 or via box office: 1226 N. Wishon at Olive in Fresno (559) 266-9494. Showtimes are Thursday – Sunday, at 7:30 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. 

Good Company Players’ upcoming shows include The Drowsy Chaperone (Sept. 14-Nov. 12) and is rated PG. Performances are at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater, 1226 N. Wishon, at Olive and Wishon in The Tower District.

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