Another week another welcome return. This time it’s the beautifully located theatre on the River Wey, The Yvonne Arnaud. For far too long condemned to being “dark” by Covid it is back to doing what it does best, entertaining the local denizens of Guildford and beyond. The show chosen to open up the post lockdown season is Siobhan Basset’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, a spirited reimagining of the Conan Doyle classic featuring Sara Crowe (Siobhan Basset) and Stefan Bednarczyk (Michael Basset). Written in the theatre itself by Crowe during lockdown in order to comply with ever changing restrictions it is eighty minutes of fun and frivolity and a lovely way for the Arnaud to segway into their forthcoming exciting programme of productions, this one being the first self-produced work (excluding Christmas fayre) for several years.
Michael kicks things off and we immediately learn that he is desperate to play his new piano composition for his tardy wife. Frustrated by her lateness he decides to play it for us. Alas, his timing is equally out of sync as in walks Siobhan to dampen his ardour. The poor man is relegated to accompanist and provider of sound effects, though he does also get to play Holmes. Siobhan is determined to steal the show and she revels in playing a plethora of characters including Watson, Beryl, Sir Henry and Dr Mortimer. This lady is not for being overshadowed and her camp characterisations were ideally pitched for this theatrical audience. They loved her tongue in cheek approach as she randomly switched props and costumes to represent each role and when there were too many parts for them both to play they would place a prop on a cushion to take on that role.
Although I got lost along the way, a case of losing the plot but in a pleasant way, it did have me tittering and they worked well together especially when they stepped out of character to have a little thespian tête-à-tête to make sure all was well. If I were to be cruel to be kind I would recommend they brush up on their accents which sometimes did a mini world tour before arriving in the right location. That said their peculiarities added to the fun. It was a pleasure to be sat inside the Arnaud again though I fear the mandatory wearing of face coverings for the the whole time will act as a deterrent for many. If you don’t have to wear them in a cinema why is it expected in a theatre? Question on a postcard to the prime minister please. Elementary, my dear Johnson.
Meanwhile Susanna Rogeriou is thrilled and emotional…
Legends of Lockdown LIVE! (Vaudeville Theatre) was a one off night showcasing the outstanding individuals that kept us comforted, connected and entertained during the craziness and difficulty of the past fifteen months.
This aging reviewer seemed to miss out on all of these acts during lockdown, clearly as I am too old for Tik Tok. And because after a day on Zoom I wanted to escape the virtual world, so it was great to catch up on what I missed! I wished Austyn Farrell had lived on my street and he clearly was a boon for his neighbours who “informally” closed the road for his performances and asked him to knock on their door to announce his performances!
And why wasn’t I listening to the Queer Talk podcast instead of conspiracy theories (look out for their live show on 23 June). A tap dancing mum and son, Liza Minnelli (aka Sooz Kempner) and the amazing Rob Madge whose performance was stunning. What a voice in a cleverly adapted “I’m Still Here” (And another live show to look up at the Turbine Theatre – My Son’s a Queer But What Can You Do!)
An evening of true variety and entertainment, albeit a slightly odd production, after a long absence it felt wonderful to be back in theatre-land, and it was topped off by Oscar Conlon-Morrey and his boozy songs recorded from home but sung live on stage. I couldn’t help feeling emotional on behalf of artists everywhere during the pandemic but hopeful for the slow return of live performances. Legends one and all!
Siobhan Basset’s The Hound of the Baskervilles – run complete

Photo Credit: Lidia Crisafulli