Our class – Specialty 1ere LLCE 3 – went to see a play The Hound of Baskervilles performed only in English and adapted from the famous detective novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The play we have seen on Friday March 31st was entitled The Hound of Baskervilles. Have you ever heard of it? It was originally written by Arthur Conan Doyle. This story is one of the most famous Sherlock Holmes detective stories. Sherlock but also his faithful sidekick and investigation partner Dr. Watson. The novel was adapted by Andrew Loudon and performed by the drama group “Théâtre en anglais”.
In this play, the nephew of Sir Charles Baskervilles, Henry, needs the help of the two detectives. Henry wants to find out who killed his uncle Sir Charles. He believes his uncle has been murdered and it was not due to an accident. Henry is afraid for his own life as he has inherited his uncle’s castle. Dr. Watson leaves London to investigate and solve the curse of this noble family.
Who is the killer? The butler Mr Barrymore? The servant Mrs Barrymore? The neighbour Jack Stapleton? Beryl, Jack’s sister? Dr Watson finds a lot of clues in a very desolate and hostile landscape.
Will you find the murderer before Dr Watson?
The play was performed at the Odyssée, a theater in Orvault which is next to Nantes. The Odyssée can host around 1,100 people and there were many pupils from different schools this day. From the outside, the place was not very welcoming but the inside of the theater was kind of nice. The room we were in was a pretty big room with a stage. There were seats in front of the stage and a large balcony above it. 
The stage was very vast and large. Yet, there were very few decorations for the play. The sets have only been changed twice. The first time, there was a large screen which stayed throughout the show. There was also a chair with a blanket over it and a coat rack. For the second scene there was still the screen but instead of the chair, there was a small bush. A smoke machine was used. It had a great effect in the play. Thanks to the screen and the acting of the actors, it wasn’t complicated to understand where they were.
As for the costumes, it was clear that tailors have been inspired by Sherlock films and real life suits from the 19th century to make the men’s costumes. One example of a lady costume was the one worn by Laura – a dark blue suit, with ribbons (blue and brown striped), a fairly typical and classic 1880 shape, quite strict and classic in style. The costumes were designed so that each woman was very different both visually and in personality.
Now what did the pupils think of the play ?
Some pupils explained that, though they understood the play, some details were “ a bit difficult” to understand, “and at times difficult to follow” but they have understood the majority of the play. However, some actors like the women who played Ms Stapleton had a “rather complicated accent to understand”, moreover, she played an old lady so she changed her voice. In general, the students were not disturbed by the British accent.
Some said they enjoyed the character of Doctor Watson as “he [was] curious”, one said and the other reported that “he had beautiful hair and he [was] charismatic”.
When asked to rate the play out of 5 stars, opinions differed. One pupil answered: “I put 3 stars because I find this play a bit too long to follow the story. Another replied that he found it interesting. One classmate said: “I think 3 stars because I haven’t understood it entirely. And the screen was too easy. I mean the change of scenery was based only on that. However, I found there [were] things that were funny.” One explained: “Something that captivated a lot the attention of people was the screen because it was innovative, it was the first time that we saw something like this in a theatre play and it really helped people to understand the situations. The smoke effect often used was installing a mysterious mood. A point really enjoyed was the crack of the 4th wall between the actors and the audience when they’ve spoken French once, it was funny.”
To sum it up, the play was generally understandable and enjoyable. The actors were really entertaining and the fact that some could played several characters was very impressive – even if it might be confusing at first for some people. Plus, it was useful to know a bit more this story as it is linked to the novel we have to study this year. Indeed the main character explains that The Hound of the Baskervilles is his favorite story.
Class 1ere LLCE n°3
