By LYNDSEY TURNER

Entering the theater and my sight is captivated by grandeur, eye-catching scenery! My eyes trace the set from the bottom up, starting at the portion of the stage closest to the audience and there seems to be the outline of an old cobblestone street. Moving up and there is a wooden floor that throws you into an eclectic and fashionable apartment. The owner of the apartment is presumably a maximalist with walls filled with neon signs and collections of pictures and portraits. A mundane brown couch sits center stage, a cheerleader pom-pom sticking out from the cushion, and illuminated by a spotlight. As I take in the scenery I feel as if I am in the waiting screen of a thriller movie as suspenseful music makes me crave what ominous mystery awaits me. 

The lights dim and I crawl to the edge of my seat. A man enters the stage with a woman, the man is dressed in late 19th century attire while the woman is in a fairly typical outfit for the 21st century. As the man introduces the play as a Sherlock Holmes mystery in the Victorian era the woman stops him, and we find out this is a new interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. This Sherlock is a Shirley, but I would advise against using Shirley, and this tale takes place in the year 2021 post-pandemic. We start by following Joan Watson, an American searching for an apartment in London, but what is the reason she’s in London, is she running away from something? On Watsons search she finds an affordable apartment, but there’s a catch, and that catch is her roommate is a detective-I mean deductive consultant who is quite the character. From Watson’s first meeting with Sherlock being one of loud classical music blasting in the apartment to Watson finding a severed finger next to her toothbrush, Watson doesn’t know how much longer she’ll last! Sherlock at first is hesitant to accept this seemingly average American as her roommate, but is quick to switch her demeanor when she finds out Watson was a doctor who has run away from her profession. Sherlock has been awaiting an indulging case, and the case of Joan Watson is the case Holmes has been searching for! Holmes recruits Watson to work as an assistant in solving cases, and in the process Holmes dissects every inch of Watson to find what she is really running away from. This show is filled with comically slow moving elders, decay and fly infested apartments, a less than smart cop looking for a single lady, a daring femme-fatal, and mysteries constantly layering on top of each other! 

So, why should you see Holmes and Watson Apartment 2B? Let’s ask the cast! I started by asking Cam Meiers ‘23 who plays Sherlock Holmes why people should see the show. “People should see Holmes and Watson because it’s really funny, very different from the normal Sherlock story, has lots of fun twists and turns, and audiences get to see Sherlock Holmes as a lesbian, and I think everyone wants to see that!” Cam Meiers ‘23. I then asked Autumn Green ‘24 who plays Joan Watson in what ways she sees the importance of this new representation of Sherlock Holmes? “I believe that veering away from the traditional narrative is important because it allows for fresh faces to embody classic characters. Typically, we see Holmes and Watson portrayed as white men, so it’s refreshing to see such iconic characters portrayed as women. The script also allows for the characters to be cast as any race, which, as a biracial woman, is empowering!” Autumn Green ‘24. I then asked Charles Voith ‘27 who plays LeStrade and Monk what impact working on this production has had on him. “One of the most fun skills I’ve gained from this production is learning British dialect. I’ve gotten so close to my cast mates and crew and I’m so happy to stay friends after the show closes!” Charles Voith ‘27. I concluded the interviews by asking Cam Meiers what they love about portraying Sherlock Holmes. “Playing Sherlock Holmes is really truly so much fun! I have never really played a role like this one, what I love about portraying Sherlock Holmes is that Sherlock has a spark of the ‘tism, a bit of the rizz if you will, and the writer Emily pays homage in a really great way! As someone with the ‘tism rizz it’s really cool to show that in a different way, and experience it in a different way than how I do every single day. Sherlock is an amazing and challenging role, from the sheer amount of lines to the portrayal of Holmes’ eccentric character. I really think everyone should come see this show, as it will be my last show at Beloit College, and I am really so grateful that this is my last show here. I think it is the perfect ending to my college career!” Cam Meiers ‘23. After hearing opinions from the cast, as well as myself I hope you are convinced to see this incredible production this upcoming weekend!

Featured Image Credit: Beloit College