{"id":111617,"date":"2026-05-16T09:48:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T16:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/copy-of-value-over-replacement\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T12:55:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T19:55:34","slug":"ms-holmes-ms-watson-apt-2b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/ms-holmes-ms-watson-apt-2b\/","title":{"rendered":"Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Smart, Funny, Surprisingly Moving<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Kate Hamill\u2019s wildly inventive reimagining of Sherlock Holmes tosses the deerstalker hat aside and replaces it with modern anxieties, emotional baggage, sharp feminist humor, and enough rapid-fire dialogue to keep us fully engaged from curtain to curtain. Under the lively direction of Mary Ann Rodgers, the production moves with confidence and comic precision while still making room for genuine emotional connection.<\/p>\n

From the moment Adrian Deane storms onto the stage as the brilliant but emotionally unraveling Sherlock Holmes, there\u2019s electricity in the room. Deane doesn\u2019t simply play eccentricity for laughs \u2014 although there are plenty of them \u2014 but reveals the loneliness and vulnerability underneath Holmes\u2019 chaotic brilliance. Jennifer Le Blanc\u2019s Watson becomes the perfect counterbalance: grounded, compassionate, quietly wounded, and endlessly relatable. Together, the pair create the kind of chemistry that keeps us leaning forward, eager for every exchange.<\/p>\n

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Jennifer Le Blanc as Dr. Joan Watson, Adrian Deane as Sherlock Holmes – photo credit Robin Jackson<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The laughs come quickly and often, but what sneaks up on you is the emotional honesty underneath all the cleverness.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Story Line \/ Plot<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The familiar world of Sherlock Holmes flips into a wildly contemporary, emotionally layered comedy-mystery centered on two damaged but brilliant women trying to survive life, loneliness, and each other in a cramped apartment.<\/p>\n

Sherlock Holmes is no elegant Victorian detective here. She\u2019s impulsive, obsessive, socially volatile, and often emotionally unraveling \u2014 a woman whose staggering intelligence is matched only by her inability to connect with people in ordinary ways.<\/p>\n

Watson arrives carrying wounds of her own. Recently separated and searching for stability, she becomes Holmes\u2019 reluctant roommate and eventual emotional anchor. Watson\u2019s practicality and compassion constantly collide with Holmes\u2019 chaos, creating a friendship that becomes the true heart of the story.<\/p>\n

As Holmes and Watson settle uneasily into life together, increasingly strange encounters begin circling their apartment \u2014 including the arrival of Irene Adler and the dangerously magnetic Moriarty. What begins as an eccentric detective comedy gradually spirals into a tangled psychological mystery involving manipulation, hidden identities, emotional trauma, shifting loyalties, and emotional dependency.<\/p>\n

The plot twists through deception, emotional revelations, detective-story misdirection, and rapid tonal shifts. Hamill intentionally keeps audiences slightly off-balance, blending screwball comedy with darker themes involving trust, abandonment, obsession, and human connection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Hamill\u2019s script occasionally becomes so clever for its own good, asking the audience to keep pace with whirlwind plotting and rapid tonal shifts. The denouement may leave some sorting through its many twists rather than arriving at a perfectly tidy resolution. Still, Rodgers\u2019 confident direction and the cast\u2019s wonderfully grounded performances carry us through the complexity with charm, humor, and emotional honesty to spare.<\/p>\n

Sarah McKereghan\u2019s Irene Adler arrives with confidence and intrigue, while Moriarty\u2019s appearance shifts the evening into darker and more psychologically charged territory. Steve Price\u2019s Inspector Lestrade provides several wonderfully timed comedic moments that drew some of the evening\u2019s biggest laughs.<\/p>\n

Visually, the production makes excellent use of The Barn Theatre\u2019s intimate setting. Mikiko Uesugi\u2019s set design supports the fast-moving action beautifully, while Valera Coble\u2019s costumes help establish the production\u2019s playful contemporary tone. Lighting by Frank Sarubbi and sound design by Billie Cox add polish and atmosphere throughout the evening.<\/p>\n

Ross Valley Players finds the sweet spot here: a comedy that entertains wholeheartedly while still providing something meaningful to hold onto afterward.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Especially refreshing is how naturally the comedy lands. Nothing feels forced. Rodgers trusts both the material and her cast, allowing humor to emerge organically from character rather than gimmickry. The result is lively, contemporary, deeply human.<\/p>\n

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson \u2013 Apt. 2B<\/em> is funny, fast-paced, smartly staged, and unexpectedly touching. Exactly the kind of show we love discovering: entertaining enough for a fun night out, but thoughtful enough to stay with you afterward.<\/p>\n

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Tickets Available Now
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Ross Valley Players<\/strong>
\nMs. Holmes & Ms. Watson \u2013 Apt. 2B<\/em>
\nMay 15 \u2013 June 14
\nThe Barn Theatre, Marin Art & Garden Center
\n30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Ross, CA<\/p>\n

Performances:
\nThursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
\nSundays at 2:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

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Tickets: rossvalleyplayers.com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

(707) 523-4185<\/span><\/p>\n

Includes intermission<\/span><\/p>\n

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