HOLMES & WATSON Opens Next Weekend at Long Beach Playhouse

Is it possible? Can it be true? Is Sherlock Holmes still alive? Following Holmes death at Reichenbach Falls three years before, Dr. Watson has been called on to disprove the many charlatans who've come forward claiming to be Holmes. When he receives a news clipping reporting that a remote mental asylum has recently admitted three men, each claiming to be Sherlock Holmes. Intrigued, Dr. Watson travels to the asylum to investigate. All, perhaps, could plausibly be the real Sherlock Holmes. But only one is quoted saying something that only the real Sherlock Holmes could know.

In Holmes and Watson, Jeffrey Hatcher's 2018 play, Dr. Watson's journey to answer the question of his friend's continued existence is filled with twists and turns that keep the audience guessing. Each of the three candidates, or more accurately, inmates, tells his version of events at Reichenbach Falls. Does Watson recognize one of them as his friend or are they all imposters? The tension between mystery and comedy is perfectly executed with the script, the acting and Mitch Nunn's adept directing.

Hatcher's earlier work, Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club, was produced on the Playhouse Mainstage in 2018. One reviewer wrote: "Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club thus makes for a superb theater experience. With a cast of very professional actors in director Nunn's capable hands, this well-paced play is pleasurable both for its sophisticated story and sympathetic treatment of characters."

"Hatcher has found his inspiration in the personalities and relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, said Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse. "He builds a complex puzzle and layers the mystery one piece at a time. Hatcher is clever, disarming, and watchable. He pulls us into his world.

"When we decided to do Holmes and Watson, I thought of Mitch and what he'd done with Hatcher's work four years ago, said Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse. "I knew Mitch could get the best out of the actors and the story. Between Mitch and the tech crew, this show is brilliant."

Executive Director, Madison Mooney, said, "Our audiences love mysteries. This one will be mystery on steroids! It's laugh-out-loud funny and still keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. That's a magical combination."

The seven-member cast is a mix of returning actors and others making their Playhouse debut. Debuting actors are: Kyla Druckman and Nik Lilliar. Returning actors are: Noah Wagner, Eldon Callawy, Michael Paul King, Steve Shane, and Jack Murphy.

Mooney closed by saying, "Come see the show, you'll be glad you did!"

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