Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure at Pacifica Spindrift Players

This adaptation by Steven Dietz of the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1899 is a marvelous look at the last case handled by the great Sherlock Holmes (or is it?).  The story starts with a newspaper headline stating the great Sherlock Holmes, on his latest case, has died.  We are then taken back in time with our narrator/storyteller, Doctor John Watson, in a likable and believable performance by Dennis Parks, which is also provides comic relief.  We can then see just how and why this case was even taken by Holmes.  Louis Schilling handles the role of Holmes with great style.  It turns out the King of Bohemia (Storm Russell) is supposed to get married but there is a photo of the great opera singer Irene Adler (the lovely and talented Pamela Clochetti) together that may ruin his wedding plans and he is being blackmailed over the photo. Holmes is to get the photo back before the wedding in order to save the King's marriage and position.  Holmes finds out Ms. Adler has already wed one James Larabee (John Szabo) who is pretending to be someone else and all of this is a scam designed by his arch enemy Professor Moriarty (Brian Johnson) who has a master plan of his own to destroy the great Sherlock Holmes.  

The story takes us to many places as Holmes himself falls in love with the enchanting and clever Ms. Adler and along the way Moriarty commits many crimes.  This is a show filled with strange twists and turns and is carried out to perfection by this fine cast of players including Mae Linh Fatum as Madge, Rob Hedges as Sid Prince and Collin Wenzell as a policeman. 

Director Craig Cummins utilizes his stage area very well on an unusual set by Henry Sellenthin . In this space, there is a London street, Holmes' house, a church, a factory, a train and even Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland.  The play ends with a surprise which is ambiguous.   

The production is two hours of quality theatre.  Live theatre is alive and well at the Pacifica Spindrift Players!  The only problem with this play is you have only one more weekend to see it on Friday, April 15 at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 16 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the box office at 650-359-8002 or go online at www.pacficaspindriftplayers.org.  The Spindrift Players are located at 1050 Crespi Drive in Pacifica.  

Coming up next at Pacifica Spindrift Players is Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, June 3-June 26, 2011.