Watson in Greenwich

News Shopper's Kerry Ann Eustice catches up with the production's lead, Peter Egan.

Peter Egan (Ever Decreasing Circles and Art) wears the distinctive deerstalker as Holmes and appears alongside Philip Franks (Darling Bud Charlie) who takes a break from Royal Shakespeare Company for the role of Dr Watson.

This adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's best-selling tale combines cutting-edge film techniques alongside age-old acting ability, for a contemporary take on the classic.

Peter and the rest of the cast are joined by an award-winning production team, something he is excited about.

"The adaptation is very good," said Peter. "It's by Clive Francis, who is also an actor. So it's very loyal to Conan Doyle. It has a great deal of humour as well as a great deal of drama, so this is good from the audience's point of view.

"Also the designer, Tim Bird, has just been very successful with award-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George. He has designed a very interesting set using film projection.

"We have two large screens, one behind the other. This creates a projection on the front and a projection bouncing on the back. It gives great depth to the stage and allows us to move very quickly through the play from interior scenes to exterior scenes with the switch of a button."

This stage technology - which Shaun Freeman, senior animator from the film Happy Feet also helped to create - is new to Peter, but it's a challenge he has enjoyed.

"I found it a pressure to begin with as we don't have a conventional set," Peter admitted.

"We also have piles of books to sit on instead of chairs. The concept is everything comes from the book, which is a good concept.

"You feel very exposed as an actor as you have nothing to hide behind. To begin with it was a pressure but I'm enjoying it now. The whole cast is enjoying it."

This may be Peter's first bash at playing Holmes but it is not the first time he has been approached to play London's most famous detective.

Peter said: "I have been asked to play the character about three times in the past and was never available to do it. This was the first time I was and it was a script I wanted to do.

"I'm very happy to do it, as he's a fabulous character to play. He's very funny, dry and very direct. He is also thought provoking and a bit of a know it all. It's always good to play someone who thinks he's brilliant."

He added: "It's certainly a character I have been interested to play. Some of the scripts I have been offered for Holmes in the past, had I been available, I would have done them.

"There have been many Holmes performances I have admired. Jeremy Brett on the telly was particularly wonderful. Basil Rathbone was pretty good in the 30s too.

"It's good to be playing one of the great parts."

"And Philip is a marvellous Watson," Peter added. "He's affable, humorous, friendly and very charming."

The prestige and mystery of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story is also something Peter was attracted to.

"It's a good thriller," said Peter. "One of the most famous of the Conan Doyle stories, the Hound of the Baskervilles. It's also a story which everyone thinks they know, but of course they don't. "

Peter's long and successful career has included other roles such as smooth operating neighbour Paul Ryman in the 80s sitcom Ever Decreasing Circles, Oscar Wilde in Lillies, Duke of Sutherland in the classic film Chariots of Fire and Magnus Pym in The Perfect Spy (one of Peter's favourite roles). But as long as good scripts keep coming he plans to keep working and there are still a number of parts he'd like to play.

He said: "There are lots of things I'd like to do. I've been very lucky and had a long career. I have been working for 40 years now so I have played many parts I have really enjoyed and there are still lots of scripts I read which are good.

"My main motivator is doing good material.

"Of the great Shakespearian roles, I'd like to play Prospero in the Tempest and, when I'm a bit older, I'd like to have a crack at King Lear."

Peter says despite a long career in performance he still has the odd slip up on stage, earlier on in the run of Hound of the Baskervilles, for example.

He said: "In one performance, I did do something. In the play, I turn to Watson and say dramatically, "Watson, lend Sir Henry your gun".

And in the first week of playing it, I turned to him and said, "Watson, lend Sir Henry your glove". Then I said, "No, I mean your gun".

"It's just something which comes out when you're not thinking. I just put it down to they both begin with G.

"I had no reason to be thinking about gloves."

Other recent projects of Peter's include the forthcoming film Death at a Funeral, a black comedy with American director Frank Oz (the voice of Miss Piggy in the Muppets and Yoda in the Star Wars series). Oz's other directorial works include Stepford Wives, Bowfinger and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Peter said: "I am driven by the quality of a script. If the script is good, I'm happy to work in any of the mediums, radio, TV, stage or film."

According to Peter, Greenwich Theatre is a great venue for the production.

He said: "I haven't played Greenwich before but have visited the theatre many times. "It's a lovely part of south east London.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's a lovely theatre, nice size. "

"The Hound of the Baskervilles is a really good and entertaining show. I hope the good people of Greenwich turn out for it."

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Greenwich Theatre, April 16 to April 21. Box office 020 8858 7755.