If you're in the mood for a comedic mystery, then the Chemainus Theatres Festival's Baskerville offers you everything you could want.
Key to the success of the show, of course, is Sherlock Holmes and actor Charlie Gallant is more than up to the challenge of this iconic role.
Gallant is taking on his first role at the Chemainus Theatre with this part and viewers can only hope it will not be his last with the theatre, as he shines bright in the part that seems tailor made for his talents.
He brings a huge amount of energy to his performance, bringing the whole script alive. It's a standout performance with wit, charm and a big dose of humour. He is completely believable as the unapologetically oddball genius, conveying the exuberance, brilliance and frustration of a man with a mind that just won't stop working.
Gallant also brings a good rapport with Alex Gullason as Doctor Watson, who is the everyman throughline. Watson's is the perspective through which the audience follows the show, the normal person in this crazy world of adventure and mystery. Gullason is excellent, with great comedic timing and chemistry with the entire cast.
And what to say about the rest of the cast, who all play multiple roles in dizzying succession to bring this tale to life? Abraham Asto, Jay Clift and Caitlin Driscoll are all utterly fantastic in this incredibly challenging rollercoaster ride. Driscoll is drole as everyone from an opera singer, to two different housekeepers — one Russian — to a love interest and a nurse (and that's by no means a full accounting). Asto shifts seamlessly from a young doctor, to a concierge, to a villain, among others. And Clift is an American heir, a police inspector and more.
The show depends on precision and timing and everyone has it in spades, both on and off the stage. The quick costume changes alone are a feat of Herculean proportions (bet you'll lose track of how many there are by the second act), and the entrances and exits and shifting locations all contribute along with the energy of the fun script to keep the show moving along at a breakneck pace from start to finish.
It will also keep you laughing every other minute. The moor with its hound might be dark and dreary but this production is anything but. Reminiscent of the slapstick that made the Chemainus Theatre's The 39 Steps such a crowd favourite, there are plenty of comedic gems to collect here, from dialogue to sight gags.
It's really all just a rollicking good time, thanks to director Roy Surette and the entire cast and crew.
I'd be remiss is I didn't give a special mention to the set designer Hans Saefkow and projection designer Craig Alfredson. The entire play takes place within a giant magnifying glass, which is incredibly well done, and projections add movement and atmosphere in a sophisticated fashion, helping the small stage become a multitude of different locations.
Likewise stage managers Jordan Guetter, Devon Vecchio and Aldana Padron Arguimbao are instrumental in keeping the costume changes and props running like clockwork.
Opening night had one of the best crowds we've seen for a show at the Chemainus Theatre since COVID, so if you're looking to get tickets, you'll probably want to do it soon.
Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, continues until June 1.
