VILLAGE THEATRE Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery February 28 - March 22, 2026 Review
Ken Ludwig’s BASKERVILLE: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
Book: Ken Ludwig
Director: Adam Immerwahr
Village Theatre
Everett, WA
Review: 7:30pm Performance on February 28, 2026
I went into the opening production of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery with tempered optimism. This particular play was the one that grabbed my attention many years ago and sent me on this path of reviewing plays and similar shows. I didn’t want to compare the two productions so I kept my expectations at a reasonable level.
The cast was an all star cast. I was familiar with the work of every actor, even having interviewed a few of them over the years. So, on paper, this show would be a homerun for me.
Richard Nguyen Sloniker (Sherlock Holmes)
Avery Clark (Doctor Watson)
Mark Emerson (Actor 1)
Calder Jameson Shilling (Actor 2)
Jonelle Jordan (Actor 3 and Fight Captain)
Directed by Adam Immerwahr, the play is a comedic take on the legend of Sherlock Holmes. Actors 1, 2 and 3 play multiple parts and that is where just some of the comedy comes from.
The performances were as high caliber as I expected. Mark Emerson, Calder Jameson Shilling, and Jonelle Jordan had the fun task of playing dozens of characters throughout the show. All three were amazing and they really brought each character to life within minutes (sometimes seconds) of one another. Each of them got many laughs throughout the show. Brilliant work by all three actors.
Richard Nguyen Sloniker as Sherlock Holmes and Avery Clark as Doctor Watson were rock solid in both of their performances. True professionals portraying iconic characters Again, this is what I expected and they did not disappoint.
All five actors were the strength of this show.
Where I have to nitpick a bit is just how the show overall felt. I found it unbalanced. The creative approach to the multi characters overshadowed the story. At one point I didn’t even know what the story was (again I had seen this show by another company years ago). It was like I was waiting for the next laugh from the cast in terms of their performances and/or change in characters. The first act I would say was like 70/30 actors/story. The second act was more like 60/40 actors/story. I wanted to see it be a true 50/50 split between the actors' performances and the storyline.
I would also add that the three actors in multiple roles overshadowed the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson at times - something that in my opinion should not have happened anywhere in the production. It was less so in act two but it was still noticeable.
Overall, the show was still enjoyable, don’t get me wrong. The Village Theatre in recent years has been delivering high quality theatre every time I review a performance. But, for this show, while it was entertaining, it could have been a bit better balanced.
“Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” runs through March 22nd. Tickets are available: HERE!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
Book: Ken Ludwig
Director: Adam Immerwahr
Village Theatre
Everett, WA
Review: 7:30pm Performance on February 28, 2026
(Avery Clark and Richard Nguyen Sloniker in Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Village Theatre. Photo by Rosemary Dai Ross (2026))
I went into the opening production of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery with tempered optimism. This particular play was the one that grabbed my attention many years ago and sent me on this path of reviewing plays and similar shows. I didn’t want to compare the two productions so I kept my expectations at a reasonable level.
The cast was an all star cast. I was familiar with the work of every actor, even having interviewed a few of them over the years. So, on paper, this show would be a homerun for me.
Richard Nguyen Sloniker (Sherlock Holmes)
Avery Clark (Doctor Watson)
Mark Emerson (Actor 1)
Calder Jameson Shilling (Actor 2)
Jonelle Jordan (Actor 3 and Fight Captain)
Directed by Adam Immerwahr, the play is a comedic take on the legend of Sherlock Holmes. Actors 1, 2 and 3 play multiple parts and that is where just some of the comedy comes from.
The performances were as high caliber as I expected. Mark Emerson, Calder Jameson Shilling, and Jonelle Jordan had the fun task of playing dozens of characters throughout the show. All three were amazing and they really brought each character to life within minutes (sometimes seconds) of one another. Each of them got many laughs throughout the show. Brilliant work by all three actors.
Richard Nguyen Sloniker as Sherlock Holmes and Avery Clark as Doctor Watson were rock solid in both of their performances. True professionals portraying iconic characters Again, this is what I expected and they did not disappoint.
All five actors were the strength of this show.
Where I have to nitpick a bit is just how the show overall felt. I found it unbalanced. The creative approach to the multi characters overshadowed the story. At one point I didn’t even know what the story was (again I had seen this show by another company years ago). It was like I was waiting for the next laugh from the cast in terms of their performances and/or change in characters. The first act I would say was like 70/30 actors/story. The second act was more like 60/40 actors/story. I wanted to see it be a true 50/50 split between the actors' performances and the storyline.
I would also add that the three actors in multiple roles overshadowed the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson at times - something that in my opinion should not have happened anywhere in the production. It was less so in act two but it was still noticeable.
Overall, the show was still enjoyable, don’t get me wrong. The Village Theatre in recent years has been delivering high quality theatre every time I review a performance. But, for this show, while it was entertaining, it could have been a bit better balanced.
“Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” runs through March 22nd. Tickets are available: HERE!
Best,
Mark Sugiyama
Eclectic Arts Media
Connect with Eclectic Arts Media: Social Media and Email Links
(Jonelle Jordan and Mark Emerson in Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Village Theatre. Photo by Rosemary Dai Ross (2026))
(Avery Clark and Calder Jameson Shilling in Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery at Village Theatre. Photo by Rosemary Dai Ross (2026))
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