Review of "The Speckled Band: A Sherlock Holmes Drama," original story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, edited by Alan Lance Andersen

 Review of

The Speckled Band: A Sherlock Holmes Drama, original story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, edited by Alan Lance Andersen

Four out of five stars

A play based on the Sherlock Holmes short story

 While nearly everyone knows of the Sherlock Holmes character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, few know that he was also a playwright. This play was originally written by Doyle for the stage and had a very successful run. It is of course based on the short story by the same name. This version has been modified by the editor to make it more in conformance to the original story and to incorporate elements of other adaptations. It retains the basic flair of Holmes, a man of many skills and a serious drug habit.

 The play has a strong, ruthless villain that plays the role of a caring stepfather. While he thinks he is a match for Holmes, it is clear very soon that Holmes remains several steps ahead of him. Like all plays, much of the enjoyment is in the execution by the actors. Facial expressions and intonation do a great deal in imparting the emotional drama of attempted murder and mayhem. Therefore, while it reads well, one reserves a bit of judgement until it is seen in action.