Joshua James in Sherlock Holmes [Tristram Kenton]

JOEL Horwood’s play draws from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1890 novella The Sign of Four, the second adventure of his fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

Horwood gives us a multifaceted Sherlock (Joshua James), dashing in a bright blue suit, a boxer, an opium smoker, hyperactive and, it is hinted, gay.

His friend and flatmate Dr John Watson (Jyuddah Jaymes) is a loyal companion, and a crack shot; he’s an Afghanistan war veteran, having served during the Great Game, and may be suffering from PTSD.

The show opens during the 1857 Indian Rebellion, when a rajah’s treasure chest is stolen.

Several years on, in late-Victorian London, Mary Morstan (Nadi Kemp-Sayfi) calls on Holmes to solve two mysteries: her father’s disappearance and the annual package of jewels she receives every year.

She becomes Watson’s romantic interest, which compels him to push Sherlock to solve the case.

Grace Smart creates a vivid sense of a Victorian music hall with a simple set built around a proscenium arch that doubles as a bridge, and engineers a thrilling escape by hot-air balloon.

Horwood’s take is crammed with subplots and twists. Occasionally the characterisation veers towards the cartoonish and, underscoring our proximity to London Zoo, several figures appear disguised with the heads of animals.

Director Sean Holmes sets a terrific pace, though it’s sometimes hard to keep up with everything, especially when distracted by the cold and damp – an issue one hopes won’t persist.

But it’s hard to resist the spirited commitment and devil-may-care energy of the cast.

Until June 6
openairtheatre.com/