Sep 29, 2007
In the late 1980s, Jeremy Brett commissioned Jeremy Paul to
write a play for him. The collaboration yielded The Secret of
Sherlock Holmes, which ran for a year in the West End and toured
for three months around England. The shores of the United States
have never seen the play - until now. In honor of the 120th
anniversary of the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes in print
(1887-2007), Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts is
producing the play.
In this episode, we interview the actors Michael Hammond and David
Demke and director Robert Walsh, in anticipation of the play's run
from September 28 - October 28, 2007. In addition, there will be a
Sherlockian weekend in Lenox from October 19-21, 2007. And at the
end of the show, there's a
listener challenge.
Note: because of some technical
difficulties, you may notice us "stepping on" each other's words.
For some reason, the audio misaligned, and as I don't record
separate tracks for each line, there was no way to edit it. I
apologize, but I hope the content makes it worthwhile.
Show notes:
1: 11 Audio clip from the
production
1:50 An introduction of the
three interviewees, their qualifications, and the background of the
play
8:16 Michael Hammond
discusses why Shakespeare & Company chose this play
11:38 David Demke tells
about his familiarity with the Canon and what he brings to the
performance
13:40 Robert Walsh gives
his perspective on directing such a play, after having directed
Sherlock's Last Case
18:00 The two halves of the
play - the known and well-recognized, and the secret
21:21 How to go about
getting something new out of time-tested characters
33:04 The challenge of
presenting a Holmes play that is not a mystery, the evolution of
the characters
35:15 Staging a 2-man play
- intimacy factor with the audience in the Founders' Theatre
36:50 Walsh shares his
feelings on directing a play for Shakespeare & Co. for the first
time
45:01 Burt & Scott discuss
the evolution of the characters over time
47:42 Listener challenge
- let us know if you attend the show by
emailing us and we'll interview you
49:02 The eras of
Sherlockians over the years
50:47 Join our group on
Facebook
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