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Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B

 
Max Allen Review by Max Allen 2 Published: 4 Dec 2025 Arcola Theatre Show Dates: 28 Nov 2025-20 Dec 2025

Sherlock Holmes has captivated readers and audiences for over a century. Doyle’s brilliant, eccentric detective, equal parts genius, addict and neurotic, remains one of literature’s most adaptable figures. Yet after countless remakes, updates and reimaginings, the character now borders on oversaturation. Any modern adaptation must therefore justify its existence. Unfortunately, Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson - Apt. 2B misses that mark.

A comedic attempt at a classic that left me wanting much more

The production markets itself as revolutionary for reimagining both Holmes and Watson as women in a post-pandemic world. However, very little in the text or plot makes this choice feel necessary. The characters could have been any gender without altering more than a couple of lines. If the title highlights the gender switch, the story should have offered a clear reason for it, not just the occasional cheap joke.

This leads to my second major gripe: the humour. What I love in good Holmes adaptations is the sharp, rapid-fire wit, the contrast between Watson’s grounded, dry practicality and Holmes’ linguistic acrobatics. Here, the jokes felt weak, panto-level broad. Clever wordplay was almost nonexistent, punchlines were shouted rather than delivered and the funniest moments came almost entirely from Tendai Humphrey Sitima’s improvised work as Lestrade and Elliot Monk.

Several American-centric jokes were also included. As a Canadian, I am more than happy to laugh at our southern neighbours, but the humour fell flat, largely because Simona Brown’s American accent landed somewhere between robotic and indeterminate. This is no fault of the actor, who clearly has talent, but if a character’s nationality is a recurring point of comedy, their accent must be convincing.

The plot reworks familiar Holmes cases, stitched together with abrupt lighting shifts and jarring musical cues. Max Dorey’s set design cleverly transforms the apartment into various locations, but the transitions felt messy and required the audience to work too hard to suspend disbelief. Had the play focused on the relationship between Holmes and Watson as modern women, and how that dynamic might differ today, it could have been far more compelling. Instead, it relied on gags about pot, TikTok and Gen Z catchphrases to create a veneer of modernity.

While the cast was committed, subtlety was lacking. Sitima was consistently strong, and Alice Lucy’s turn as Irene Adler had some power. But ultimately, I struggled to believe in the Holmes–Watson relationship.

If this had been pitched as a Christmas farce or panto, my expectations would have been different. But as a more serious comedic attempt at a classic, it left me wanting much more.

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The Blurb:

From one of America’s most-produced playwrights comes a whip-smart, darkly comic collision of classic mystery and modern mayhem.

Kate Hamill reimagines Holmes and Watson as a fiercely funny, gloriously dysfunctional duo navigating post-pandemic London with sharp wits and banter.

Packed with hijinks, high-stakes sleuthing and a bold feminist twist, this play dives headfirst into the chaos of contemporary Baker Street.

For Holmes devotees, comedy lovers and anyone who enjoys a clever caper with bite. This is Sherlock… just not as you know her.