Season continues with female-driven Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery”
Festival newcomer Liz Wisan portrays the famous detective
July 12-29—DORSET— Dorset Theatre Festival continues its 40th Anniversary Season with the Regional Premiere of Ken Ludwig’s “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” under the direction of Jen Wineman (“Twelfth Night” at Asolo Rep, “Sweeney Todd” at Playmakers Rep) runs for 16 performances between July 13-29, 2017. All performances take place at the Dorset Playhouse, 104 Cheney Road, in Dorset.
In “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its latest heir. Watch as the intrepid investigators untangle a dizzying web of clues and deceit. Does a wild hellhound really prowl the moors? Can Sherlock and Dr. Watson discover the truth in time? Silly accents and disguises abound as five actors portray over 40 characters in this fast-paced comic mystery.
The ensemble cast is led by Liz Wisan (“The Servant of Two Masters” at Theatre for a New Audience), a Festival newcomer whose portrayal of Sherlock Holmes will lend a fresh twist to the much-beloved sleuth. She is joined by Dave Quay (Netflix’s “House of Cards,” Gotham) as Dr. John Watson, the detective’s trusted confidant.
“Once in awhile, you are lucky enough to find an actress who can do anything and everything, and Liz Wisan simply blew away the competition when we were searching for our Sherlock in New York City this spring. Liz will join the ranks of the great virtuoso actresses like Katherine Hepburn, Glenn Close and Fiona Shaw, who have played traditionally male roles. We are thrilled to present this twist on Sherlock and welcome to our stage a star in the making. Our audiences are going to be delighted by her, and we could not be more excited,” said Artistic Director Dina Janis.
Rounding out the ensemble and portraying a motley medley of over 40 characters, are actors Brian Owen (“Baskerville” at Cleveland Play House and Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), Caitlin Clouthier (“Table Manners” at Dorset Theatre Festival), and Raji Ahsan (“The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” at Asolo Rep).
Playwright Ken Ludwig has had six shows on Broadway and seven in London’s West End, and his plays and musicals have been performed in more than 30 countries in over 20 languages. His first play on Broadway, “Lend Me A Tenor” won two Tony Awards and was nominated for seven. He has also won two Laurence Olivier Awards, the Charles MacArthur Award, two Helen Hayes Awards, the Edgar Award for Best Mystery from The Mystery Writers of America, the SETC Distinguished Career Award, and the Edwin Forrest Award for Services to the American Theatre.
As a supplement to Dorset Theatre Festival’s production of “Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery,” audiences are also invited to a discussion with Lyndsay Faye, author of “The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes,” at 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 6 at Northshire Bookstore in Manchester.
For more information, or to purchase tickets visit dorsettheatrefestival.org.
Photo courtesy of Dorset Theatre
Liz Wisan
