REVIEW: Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson - Apt 2B by Kate Hamill at Arcola Theatre, 20 Nov - 20 Dec 2025

'a feminist spin on the grand sleuth’s story' ★★★

“What if there are no answers?” is a question posed at the beginning of this adaptation of Conan Doyle’s outrageously famous detective story.

And what if Shirley - I mean, Sherlock - Holmes is brought to the modern day, post-pandemic, ignorant of Google, and — a woman? In fact, Ms. Holmes (a wide-eyed Lucy Farrett) is the substance-addicted, ever-searching sleuth and when she meets her Dr. (Joan) Watson (Simona Brown), played as an innocent, likable sidekick running from her previous life, the two enjoy capers around London Town. 

Those capers take place mainly on the incredibly versatile two-level set (Max Dorey), which could have some difficult sight lines for some of the audience in the partial thrust stage setup. The set is a feast for the eyes: piles of books scattered among chess boards and tennis racquets. The Smeg fridge is in the shabby kitchen, juxtaposed with skeleton and skull and various paraphernalia in the living room. The upper level has an open area for visitors to the iconic door of 22B, and it is a constantly used one. 

The cast are valiant in handling a complex script. Detective Lestrade (Tendai Humphrey Sitima) and Mrs. Hudson (Alice Lucy) multi-role adeptly as several characters, supplying the story with more bodies, in more ways than one, and bemusement. Amongst the mad capers, there is a sense of darkness. Holmes struggles with a sense of purpose, and an “America, where nobody reads”. She lights up her bong as she considers, “What is day, when all is night?”, alluding to the same mental health concerns of the original source. Along with this, there are hints at Holmes being a lesbian, attracted to sex worker Irene Adler, in Holmes’ typical maniacal style. There is a lot layered in this production, to the point of confusion towards the end. Perhaps a single caper, possibly orchestrated by the great villain Moriarty, would have given a clearer arch to the story. Rather, we learn of his existence and treachery at the end.

It is not a bad idea to make an attempt at feminist theatre to flip the grand sleuth’s story (think The Residence with Cordelia Cupp); however it is not clear whether this piece adds to the (Conan) canon. Perhaps a bit of a shorter and more focused piece would help with clarity. The opening lines predicted the ending, and indeed, there are no answers to much of what is happening in the story. Similar to the set, the show has much scattered about and gives so much for the eyes to stay open about, but perhaps keeps us in the dark in the end.

Box Office Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B - Arcola Theatre

Written by Kate Hamill

Performed by Simona Brown, Lucy Farrett, Alice Lucy, Tendai Humphrey Sitima
Directed by Sean Turner
Set Design by Max Dorey

Costume Designer – Sara Perks

Lighting Designer – David Howe

Sound Designer – Hattie North

Fight Director - Marcello Marascalchi

Photography: Alex Brenner

Reviewed by Mariam Mathew