At Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Sherlock Holmes transforms detective fiction into something vividly alive. Written by Joel Horwood and directed with impressive assurance by Sean Holmes, this new mystery, loosely inspired by The Sign of Four, avoids treating Arthur Conan Doyle as untouchable heritage material. Instead, it becomes a fast-moving, visually inventive and unexpectedly affecting adventure in which deduction, danger and friendship all share the stage.
The evening opens with stylised movement set during the Indian Mutiny, immediately signalling that this will be more than a neatly packaged puzzle. Stolen jewels, imperial greed, hidden identities and old betrayals all feed into the plot. The narrative is intricate without becoming confusing. Horwood gives the audience enough clues to engage actively with the mystery, but not enough to solve it too early. By the interval, audience members were already debating suspects and theories — proof that the mystery had fully drawn them in.
Sean Holmes’ direction makes exceptional use of the Open Air Theatre. Grace Smart’s set, with its rotating inner and outer stages, keeps the production in near-constant motion. Changes of location become part of the storytelling rather than interruptions to it. At times, the action spills into the stalls and around the auditorium, making the audience feel caught inside Holmes’ investigation rather than observing it from a safe distance.
The production’s relationship with Regent’s Park itself is especially inspired. Because escaped animals and the zoo become integral to the story, the setting feels unusually connected to the fiction. A late-night zoo sequence, with Watson alone in the darkness and real torches cutting through the night air, captures the show’s peculiar magic: funny, tense and faintly eerie — exactly the sort of moment that could only fully succeed outdoors after dusk.
Joshua James is excellent as Holmes. His detective is arrogant, abrupt and emotionally guarded, but never merely eccentric. Beneath the brilliance lies vulnerability — the sense of a man whose intelligence both empowers and isolates him. James makes Holmes feel like a misunderstood genius, particularly in contrast to his brother, while still allowing the character’s wit and razor-sharp precision to land.
His chemistry with Jyuddah Jaymes’ Watson provides the production’s emotional core. Watson is never reduced to a mere sidekick; he is warmer, more emotionally open and often more morally grounded than Holmes. Their friendship develops through contrast, with Watson repeatedly drawing Holmes toward something more humane. The result is a partnership that feels funny, believable and genuinely affectionate.
The supporting cast is equally strong. Nadi Kemp-Sayfi brings intelligence, warmth and excellent comic timing to Mary, a role that acquires greater depth as the story unfolds. Mervin Noronha is also memorable as Tonga, making a striking impression despite limited stage time. His hypnotic physicality gives the character both presence and unexpected sympathy, particularly during the movement sequences.
Charlotte Broom’s movement direction is among the production’s greatest strengths. These are not decorative interludes, but sequences that build suspense, shape transitions and sustain the evening’s restless momentum. Combined with the costumes, lighting and sound design, they create a theatrical world that feels richly imaginative without tipping into excess.
At two and a half hours, Sherlock Holmes never outstays its welcome. It is funny without undermining tension, emotional without becoming sentimental, and visually bold without ever losing sight of the mystery at its centre.
This is a clever, immersive reinvention of Holmes, and one of the most exciting productions I have seen in recent months.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Drama / Mystery Thriller
Sherlock Holmes
By Joel Horwood, inspired by the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle
Music & Sound by Jherek Bischoff and Elena Peña
Directed by Sean Holmes
Cast includes: Joshua James as Sherlock Holmes, Jyuddah Jaymes as Watson, Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Mary, Benjamin Harrold as Morstan, Marcia Lecky as Mrs Hudson, Patrick Warner as Mycroft, Christopher Akrill as Sholto, and Will Brown as Lestrade.
Until 6 June 2026
Running time: Two hours and 30 minutes, including one interval