A new theatrical take on the world's most famous detective has arrived in London, but this gender-switched mystery struggles to solve the case of its own identity. Kate Hamill's "Ms Holmes and Ms Watson – Apt 2B" is running at the Arcola Theatre in London until 20 December, offering a contemporary, post-pandemic twist on Arthur Conan Doyle's classic tales.
A Flat Share on Baker Street
The play transplants the iconic duo to a modern London flatshare. Simona Brown plays Joan Watson, an American on a sort of gap year who emphatically states she is "not" a doctor. She answers an advert and finds herself sharing Apartment 2B with the eccentric Sherlock Holmes, played by Lucy Farrett, who is quick to clarify she is not called Shirley. Despite Watson's immediate suspicions and reluctance, the pair embark on a series of detective adventures.
Directed by Sean Turner, whose past work includes The Play That Goes Wrong, the production hovers between satire and outright parody. However, the execution often feels like an extended improv sketch, hampered by uneven comic timing and jokes that feel overly familiar.
An Unexplored Premise
The title's use of "Ms" hints at the possibility of covert lesbianism, a theme that could have added rich subtext to the Victorian-era blueprint transposed to a modern setting. The potential for a dynamic akin to historical couples like Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas is present but, critics note, largely untapped.
American playwright Kate Hamill is credited with a clever central idea, but the play does not delve deeply enough into the implications of its gender switch. While Holmes may be a lesbian and Watson potentially bisexual, any frisson between them—or the array of supporting characters played adeptly by Tendai Humphrey Sitima and Alice Lucy—is sidelined in favour of frantic, plot-driven antics.
The core issue, as identified in reviews, is that the play remains too faithful to Doyle's case-of-the-week structure without interrogating its own premise. It becomes "too elementary," failing to commit fully to either comedy or serious drama, and instead relies on broad character types and, at times, lazy stereotypical jokes.
Character and Execution
On stage, Holmes's classic eccentricities—her drug-taking, logical deductions, and social awkwardness—rub the more grounded Watson the wrong way. Farrett's portrayal is described as high-pitched and leaning on cliché, while Brown's Watson serves as the audience's relatable conduit. The dynamic yearns for more substantive conflict and development beyond surface-level bickering.
Ultimately, "Ms Holmes and Ms Watson – Apt 2B" presents a classic mystery: the case of the missing depth. Audiences and critics are left wishing for less capering and more genuine dramatic tension from a concept that clearly had significant potential. The search for a truly innovative and witty modern Sherlock adaptation continues.
