Leave A Message After the Tone  Tim Kelly’s adaptation was set in the modern day but we relocated it back to the 1890’s as we found references to Holmes’ answering machine just too bizarre for words! It was described by the Haltemprice Herald as "a classic tale with which everyone is no doubt already more than familiar". Some of the cast just weren't familiar enough, so thankfully nobody from the paper came to review it! Brian and Carl at Northern Theatre gave us a superb set - one of the best we’ve ever had. Pity the actors got in the way.

I Don't Understand The Plot  This was the "Hammer Horror" version with Jack Stapleton a red herring and "sweet, endearing, innocent" Kathy the guilty party aided by her (offstage) Hound - represented by a wolf howl. Unfortunately the sound effect never cued up properly so the Hound more often sounded like a large cat being garrotted with a wet dishcloth. What with Ray's gun misfiring the final confrontation 'twixt Holmes and Hound sounded something like this: Meow, click, click, BANG - "Aha, the Hound is dead, Miss Stapleton!"

Director's Commentary  Although Ray was a marvellously manic Holmes and everyone gave it their best shot, this one didn’t quite come off. With only eight weeks rehearsal, the inexperience of most of the cast was bound to show through at times. And it did. But inexperience wasn’t the only problem - Elaine confessed on the night of the first dress rehearsal that she’d never liked the play and hadn’t wanted the part. A pity she hadn’t mentioned this earlier, then I could have cast someone who gave a toss.
As we only had just enough men to go round, I had intended to cast myself in the small part of Stapleton, but Gordon didn’t feel confident with a large role so I had to lumber myself with the UNBELIEVABLY dense Sir Henry. If I said, "I don’t understand what you’re driving at, Mr Holmes" once, I said it a thousand times. English aristocracy, eh? And the risible sound of the Hound provoked more laughter than shudders at the conclusion. One to forget David

The Audience Won't Notice  Ray’s Holmes became even more manic when he lost a vital personal prop on the last night just before his first entrance but it's much better described in his own words: 
"The Hound Of The Baskervilles in which I gave the world my Sherlock Holmes, or I would have done had I remembered to come on in time for my first line. I was standing backstage when I realised that my very important box of matches had gone missing. While I was frantically searching around for it, Dave Round and Val Howell as Dr Watson and Lady Agatha were sat on stage equally frantically improvising while waiting for me to come on.
Val: 'So Mr Holmes is on his way, is he Dr Watson?'
Dave Round: 'Oh yes, Lady Agatha. In fact, I’m sure that he will be here ANY TME NOW!' etc, etc and, most definitely, etc. I found the matches and dashed on for my big entrance. I posed in the doorway and Val saw me out of the corner of her eye. Thankfully, she gave me my cue.
Val: 'I hope Mr Holmes will solve this difficult case'
Me: (drawing myself to my full height and in my best clipped Holmes tones) 'And show I sall, Lady Agatha!' - Bugger!"
Ray never found his matches and Dave Round had to sneak another box onstage and leave them on the fireplace for him to surreptitiously pocket during the next scene!!

Quote, Unquote  Loved trying on the costumes at Northern, I could have stayed there all the time. This is also seemed to be the start of my being a bad girl! Helen
Authentic set but the hound left a lot to be desired Betty