Playwright Kate Hamill takes an iconic mystery-solving duo and brings them into contemporary times in The Warehouse Theatre’s production of “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B.”
The result is a comic, fast-paced riff on the classic Arthur Conan Doyle stories about Sherlock Holmes and his physician sidekick Dr. Watson, said director Jay Briggs.
“It’s a fun take on characters everyone knows and loves,” Briggs said.
In this modern adaptation, which premiered only two years ago, Sherlock Holmes is a young British woman who also happens to be a crime-detecting genius. She meets an American woman, Joan Watson, and the two decide to become roommates and fight villains — despite being a somewhat dysfunctional odd couple.
“Sherlock and Watson are really interested in the thrill of the chase,” said Eliza Pagelle, who plays Sherlock Holmes. “The story focuses on the joy of the mystery, so this iteration is a little sillier than the original stories or the TV and screen adaptations. It’s laugh-your-face-off hilarious.”
Briggs adds that his staging, which opens The Warehouse’s 51st season Sept. 13, “is full of hijinks.”
Hamill, the playwright, is known for her comically updated stage adaptations of classic novels such as “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility.” Both of those comedies have been widely staged across the country, including at The Warehouse Theatre.
In this play, Sherlock Holmes fans will notice motifs and some dialogue from the original Conan Doyle stories, Pagelle said.
“A lot of the original text makes its way into this adaptation, which is fun for the audience and for us as well,” she said.
‘Top of their craft’
The four-person play features Pagelle as Sherlock and Meredith Bennett as Watson. Two other actors, Shelli Delgado and Carter Allen, play multiple other roles.
“These actors are really working at the top of their craft,” Pagelle said. “I pride myself on taking my job seriously, but I’m having trouble not laughing as we rehearse.”
Pagelle, 23, who grew up in Greenville and attended the Greenville County Schools Fine Arts Center and the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, has been based in New York City for the past two years. She recently played the title role in a gender-swapped “Hamlet” for the Tennessee Shakespeare Company and will soon play Ophelia in the same play in a tour for the Texas Shakespeare Festival. Pagelle also has a small role in the Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” coming out this Christmas.
She said it’s a delight to come back to Greenville.
“I grew up watching the stars of the Upstate theater scene perform at The Warehouse, so it’s a dream come true to return,” she said.
Want to go?
What: “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B,” by Kate Hamill
When: Sept. 13-Oct. 6
Where: The Warehouse Theatre, 37 Augusta St., Greenville
Tickets: $35
Info: 864-235-6948 or warehousetheatre.com
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