My overall impression
A sharp, to-the-point Holmes retrospective by two pros who know what they’re doing. Like a musty old house’s genuine hardwood floors, the Holmes saga has been revarnished, painted over, and carpeted beyond recognition; Mawson and Vernazza strip the characters of their post-Doyle layers. Mawson’s Holmes returns from invincible superhero status to a more believable undiagnosed Asperger’s manchild, a deeply flawed genius whose wounds drive his gifts, reminiscent of a 1940s Mark Zuckerberg. It’s just the thing to reinvigorate the idea of Holmes as human. Vernazza plays the even-keeled foil and literary agent Watson to steely perfection, one who understands both the myth and reality of the fictional Holmes and pushes each to its potential. With nothing on the stage but a table, a desk, and a couple of chairs, Amir Korangy directs these two sharpshooters with a light hand, letting the characters deal with their stuff in a way that feels just a little too intimate. It’s a brilliant reading and one that deserves to be seen by anyone who wants to get back to the original Holmes. Robert Downey Jr., you’re invited.
