Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position (Taproot Theatre)

Stage Review - Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position
Presented By: Taproot Theatre - Seattle, WA
Show Run: May 15 - June 22, 2024
Date Reviewed: Friday, May 17, 2024 (Opening Night)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman

In a society that is so rife with division and disagreement, where we seem to be laser focused on what we don’t have in common versus what we do, sometimes the best thing we can do to combat that is to come together in community, share an experience, and just laugh. There are number of sayings about how healing laughter can be, and as a group, shared laughter is even better. Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position, the Margaret Raether play based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle series of Holmes mysteries, aims to be a salve for the challenges in our lives. It is satire, it is spoof, and it is downright funny. It’s also on stage at Taproot Theatre in Seattle through June 15 in a production directed by Taproot’s Producing Artistic Director Karen Lund. Holmes stories have always been told with humor, but The Precarious Position goes all in, not taking itself at all seriously, but also respecting the original Doyle stories, while weaving a tale that is about the excitement of the chase and at it’s heart, one of friendship and loyalty.

In Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position, Calder Jameson Shilling plays the famous detective, while Nathaniel Tenenbaum is his sort of bumbling, always seemingly one step behind, good hearted assistant James Watson, M.D. The real story begins when the pair are approached by their landlady, but the case she brings is only the tip of the iceberg. What follows is a mystery with twists, turns, the odd murder, and a bit of sleight of hand involving a jewel. I’m sure there’s no spoiling this, Holmes and Watson of course solve the mystery, but it’s how they do it, or more precisely how Calder and Nathaniel deliver the story, that is the real treat here.

This pair are wonderful together, Calder is the straight as Holmes, he takes himself and his work exceedingly seriously, and believes himself able to outsmart any criminal. And while yes, Holmes is the serious one, Calder plays him in a self-aware manner, realizing that he’s aloof but at the same time not giving a second thought to it. Nathaniel’s Watson, meanwhile, is just as intelligent, perhaps even more so, but that fact is overshadowed by Holmes’ demand that he be the smartest in the room. Therefore, Watson takes a backseat, but is always looking for a chance to upstage his partner. This is when Nathaniel is at his best, when his Watson tries to take a step out of the shadows, whether it’s narrating the story to the audience or helping with his part in investigating a crime. Nathaniel can generate a laugh with a gesture, an expression, but his is also a very sympathetic character here, always second to Holmes; the audience wants Watson to come into his own. Calder and Nathaniel are an excellent comedic duo in The Precarious Position, they drive this story, keep it moving, and bring the audience along for an incredibly fun ride.

Supporting the two leads are Nathan Brockett and Sophia Franzella, though to call them merely supporting would be an extreme understatement. This pair handles all of the other characters in the story, from the sleuth’s landlady, to the police detective that may or may not be working with or against Holmes, and even a “snitch” that regularly reports back to the detective. There are more, of course, but where they really shine is as sisters Minnie and Winnie, who, it turns out, are the keys to the mystery. Sisters clad in almost identical costumes, Pete Rush has coordinated the sisters very well, the pair are extremely funny, perhaps a result of their bone structure, but that’s another story. Nathan’s and Sophia’s performances add so much to the humor and pace of the show, their adeptness at adapting these unique characters and to change costumes quickly drives the pace, in any other hands the show could become a slog, but with all four of these actors expert in their delivery and ability, the show moves even quicker than its 90 minutes would indicate.

Pete’s costume design goes beyond the sisters, though. Holmes and Watson are more classically styled per the Doyle character designs, but the supporting characters are varied, and the actors are easily able to transition from one to the other, including changes in costume. The overall design here is nicely done, it’s on the simple side, though Mark Lund’s set has some surprises up its sleeve, too. One minute we’re outside on Baker Street, the next we’re in Holmes’ flat, through a crafty rotation of the stage. It’s a solid set that fits and works well in Taproot’s limited space.

The Taproot production of Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position is fun, funny, and is an excellent way to spend an evening (or afternoon) out. Quickly paced, this mystery based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters keeps the audiences on their toes until the inevitable happens, when Holmes and Watson “find their man”. It’s the journey that’s the treat here, though. Karen Lund has put together a nice group, led by a cast of four excellent actors, that come together to tell a story that is a nice diversion and an entertaining play. It’s not going to set the world on fire, but it doesn’t need to, it’s wonderful just the way it is.

Sherlock Holmes and the Precarious Position runs on Taproot Theatre’s Jewell Mainstage through June 22. For more information about Taproot, the show, or to purchase tickets, visit https://taproottheatre.org.

Photo credit: Robert Wade.