A very silly show teaming Sherlock Holmes (Maria Evans) and Arsène Lupin (Chully Mullock), both legendary literary detectives, this is the latest production from The Department of Ulterior Motives, and most recently played at Brighton Fringe.
With music, slapstick, and gender-swapped casting – a burly, bearded bloke as Mrs Hudson (Alex Scarrott) is particularly inspired – Sherlock Holmes vs Arsène Lupin is fast-paced, head-scratching, and full of references and nods to both the sleuths, while poking gentle fun at them.
The crime itself quickly becomes immaterial, and by act two, everything leads towards the totally bizarre. If you have seen writer-director Samuel Masters’s previous work, you will not be looking for a dramatic narrative.
Dr Watson (Esther Dracott) is less fusty and more dynamic than some portrayals would suggest, but in this French farce he remains of secondary importance to his pipe-puffing pal.
Lighting, locations, and locomotion are all of crucial importance in this daft caper. You don’t need to have any knowledge of the books by Arthur Conan Doyle or Maurice Leblanc, or their detective creations, to enjoy this production – although if you do, there’s an additional level of entertainment to be found.
The song picks are often hilarious – Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” accompanies a particularly amusing scene – and allow several of the crew to show off their singing voices. There’s also a nod to the bromance between Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, following the ‘what if’ thread that it was more romance than ‘bro’.
This is a well-written, energetic, and well-performed show. It takes on Leblanc’s constant rivalry between English detective Sherlock Holmes and French gentleman thief Arsène Lupin – one of the most effective crossovers in the genre of detective fiction, albeit featuring Lupin up against one ‘Herlock Sholmes’ (due to copyright). It may also draw on the 2007 video game teaming the two sleuths, or the 1910 play of the same name, but it is hard to tell through all the lunacy.
The main crime here may be against the French accent, but the solution is “baiser du chef”
4 stars.
Sherlock Holmes vs Arsène Lupin: A Drag Crime Caper was most recently at the Brighton Fringe. For news on future performances, please see https://www.instagram.com/dumtheatre/.