Review: Baskervillen koira

The Hound of the Baskervilles – Arena stage brings humour to the classic story

The Helsinki City Theatre’s version of the classic Sherlock Holmes brings out the amazing supporting actors.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories are not known for their humour, but luckily the Helsinki City Theatre’s version of The Hound of the Baskervilles has it. The story itself is so familiar to most people that a new approach is a good idea.

Sir Charles Baskerville is mysteriously found dead, and there is concern that his heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, will suffer the same fate – after all, the family is associated with the legend of the ferocious dog that allegedly killed Sir Hugo Baskerville a hundred years ago.

Holmes becomes interested in the case and sends Watson’s heir on a journey to observe the situation. Soon, however, more bodies arrive, and the plot intensifies. Holmes finds out the culprit, but will he be able to save Sir Henry?

While Holmes and Watson are, true to the books, matter-of-factly straightforward, the hilarious characters of Virtanen, Suonpää and Sinisalo make you laugh.

Santeri Kinnunen Sherlock Holmes and Eppu Salminen (who will replace Risto Kaskilahti until 24 September) as Dr. Watson maintain a consistent quality, but this time the show is stolen by Katariina Kirjavainen’s inventive set design and supporting actors Mikko Virtanen, Sauli Suonpää and Emilia Sinisalo, who played a total of 35 roles.

While Holmes and Watson are matter-of-factly straightforward, true to the books, the hilarious and increasingly unusual characters of Virtanen, Suonpää and Sinisalo make the audience laugh. The entire backing crew also earns points for the costume changes made at a breakneck pace.

The City Theatre’s version is a very entertaining update to a familiar story.