Broken Holmes

"I can solve this case, and what's more, I can do it zonked off my tits on opium because that's how good I am" proclaims Sherlock Holmes.

The more astute among you may recognize that this isn't a line from a long-lost Conan Doyle short story. Instead, it appears in Semper Theatre's Broken Holmes.

The great inspector's increasing arrogance and drug-fuelled pomposity is putting an increasing strain on Dr Watson. He's had about enough of Holmes' constant put-downs and lack of respect. He proceeds to wrestle between his devotion to the detective and his desire to stand on his own two feet.

The premise of this one-act play is packed with potential, and Robin Johnson's script does it justice with a sharp, witty mix of Doylean dialogue and modern slang. Watson towers above Holmes but has no power in the relationship, instead being reduced to a snivelling yes-man through a barrage of insults. Both performances reinterpret these familiar characters well, Holmes as the overbearing, mean-spirited opium fiend and Watson as the kind-hearted, intelligent doctor who simply wants some respect.

During an investigation, Watson gets a unique opportunity to reverse his fortunes and teach Holmes a lesson. What follows is a satisfyingly farcical game of deception, complete with a puppet snake, a murderous heiress and a Cockney bobby of dubious intellect, culminating in a fantastically ridiculous scenario where Holmes demands a little more of Watson than he is prepared to give.

It's a clever, often funny and thoroughly enjoyable farce that offers an imaginative take on some familiar fictional figures.