Mercury Theatre, led by Executive Director, Steve Mannix and Executive Producer, Tracey Childs, today announce the full cast of Ken Ludwig’s BASKERVILLE! as part of the company’s opening season in its newly refurbished venue, following two years of closure to reimagine and improve accessibility throughout the theatre. The production opens on 5 August, with previews from 30 July, and runs until 22 August.
Creative Director of Mercury Theatre Ryan McBryde directs Richard Ede (Sherlock Holmes), Marc Pickering (Stapleton and others), Eric Stroud (Doctor Watson), Naomi Petersen (Miss Stapleton and others), Phil Yarrow (Sir Henry and others).
40 characters. 5 actors. 1 madcap adventure for the world’s most famous detective!
This is a thrilling new look at Sherlock Holmes. On the murky moors of Devonshire, heirs to the Baskerville name are being killed, one by one. Some say it’s a family curse. Some say it’s a murderous hellhound. Some say it’s a load of old nonsense. A case like this can be solved by only one man…or…actually...two – so don your deerstalkers because Holmes and Watson are on the case!
This fast-paced, laugh out loud comedy sees our intrepid duo try to crack their most notorious case with the help of a tangled web of clues, silly accents, disguises and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than forty characters. Will our heroes discover the truth in time? Will they fall foul of the demon hellhound? Will they get all the costume changes right?
With set and costume design by Amy Jane Cook; lighting design by Johanna Town; video and projection by Louise Rhoades-Brown; and sound design by Steve Mayo.
Ken Ludwig’s work has been produced been performed in over 30 countries in more than 20 languages including in the West End and on Broadway. His writing credits include Dear Jack, Dear Louise – winner of the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical, Moon Over Buffalo, Twentieth, Be My Baby, Shakespeare in Hollywood – winner of the Helen Hayes Award for Best Play of the Year, Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy For You – winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and Olivier Award for Best New Musical, A Comedy of Tenors, The Gods of Comedy, A Fox on the Fairway, Leading Ladies, Murder on the Orient Express and The Game’s Afoot – winner of the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year. His stage adaptations include The Three Musketeers, The Adventures of Robin Hood and Treasure Island. He was also awarded the Edwin Forrest Award for Contributions to the American Theater.
Richard Ede plays Sherlock Holmes. His theatre credits include The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre, UK tour), Shackleton and his Stowaway (Park Theatre), It’s a Wonderful Life (Farnham Maltings), Little History of the World (Watermill Theatre), Arsenic and Old Lace (Nottingham Theatre Royal), Normal (Styx Theatre), The Wife of Bath (Rude Mechanical Theatre Company), The Bible (Reduced Shakespeare Company UK tour), The Ruling Class (English Theatre Frankfurt), and Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Theatre Company world tours). His television credits include Lord Lucan: My Husband The Truth, Cuckoo and Modern Manners.
Marc Pickering plays Stapleton and others. His theatre credits include The Elephant Man and An Incident at the Border (Trafalgar Studios), The Merchant of Venice (Arcola Theatre), The Return of the Soldier (Hope Mill Theatre), The Toxic Avenger and Bananaman (Southwark Playhouse), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Wilton’s Music Hall), Mother Goose (Marlowe Theatre), Night of the Living Dead Live and The Long and The Short and The Tall (Pleasance Theatre). For television, his credits include BORGIA III, Dalziel and Pascoe and Cricklewood Greats; for film, Les Misérables, To Be Someone, Brothers of Italy, A Viking Saga: The Darkest Day, Calendar Girls and Sleepy Hollow.
Eric Stroud plays Doctor Watson. A LAMDA graduate, his theatre credits include The Snow Queen (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.)
Naomi Petersen plays Miss Stapleton and others. Her theatre credits include The Girl Next Door, Birthdays Past, Birthdays Present, Joking Apart, Better Off Dead (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), By Jeeves (The Old Laundry Theatre), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Ambassadors Theatre), I Am Telling You I'm Not Going (Pleasance Theatre), Tender Loving Care (New Theatre Royal Portsmouth), The Witches of Eastwick (Watermill), Ashes (Arcola Theatre), Angus, Thongs and Even More Snogging (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and Schnapps (Lyric Hammersmith).
Phil Yarrow plays Sir Henry and others. His theatre credits include Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (The Frinton Summer Theatre). His television credits include The Split, and The Dumping Ground.
Creative Director of Mercury Theatre Colchester, Ryan McBryde directs. His theatre credits for the company include Moll Flanders and Pieces of String – nominated for Best New Musical at the UK Theatre Awards. Other theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet (Theater Trier, Germany), Love on the Links, Before the Party (Salisbury Playhouse), The Invisible Man (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), The House of Mirrors and Hearts, The Jabberwocky (Arcola Theatre), Saturday Night Fever (Theatre Royal Bath/UK tour), Angus Thongs, and even more Snogging (West Yorkshire Playhouse), A Day at the Racists (Finborough Theatre), On the 20th Century (Union Theatre) and Hamlet – The Musical (Royal & Derngate, Northampton/Richmond Theatre).
Mercury Theatre
Balkerne Gate, Colchester CO1 1PT
Box Office:
www.mercurytheatre.co.uk / 01206 573948
SEASON AT A GLANCE:
BASKERVILLE!
30 July – 22 August 2021
Press Night: 5 August at 7.30pm
Relaxed: 18 August at 2.30pm
Touch Tour: 19 August at 1pm
Audio Described: 19 August at 2.30pm
Captioned Performance: 20 August at 7.30pm
ANTIGONE
1 – 16 October 2021
Press Night: 6 October at 7.30pm
Relaxed: 13 October 2.30pm
Touch Tour: 14 October 1pm
Audio Described: 14 October at 2.30pm
Captioned Performance: 15 October at 7.30pm
MERCURY ORIGINALS: SIRENS
28 October – 6 November 2021
Press Night: 2 November at 7.30pm
ALADDIN
27 November 2021 - 16 January 2022
Press Night: 4 December at 5pm
Relaxed: 12 December at 12pm & 6 January at 2pm
Captioned Performance: 7 January at 7pm
Touch Tour: 8 January at 11.30am
Audio Described: 8 January at 1pm
BSL Interpretation: 15 January at 1pm
Picture credit: Pamela Raith
