Sherlock's Last Case

Rufus Collins in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of "Sherlock's Last Case."

Almost as puzzling as one of Sherlock Holmes' cases is why on earth the Huntington Theater would choose to revive such a tedious and stale "comedy" such as "Sherlock's Last Case."

Charles Marowitz' script is both forced and decidedly bland at the same time. The jokes are stale, the plot is convoluted yet largely predictable, and the characters are nothing more than cardboard cutouts. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle must be spinning in his grave.

From script to performances to set, the evening is an exercise in mediocrity.

A leaden script, coupled with Maria Aitken's uninspired direction, creates a company blissfully giving the kind of two-dimensional performances one rarely sees outside of a community theater in South Dakota.

This production falls into the grey area of nothingness. It is too ridiculous to be a thriller and too serious to be a spoof.

Rufus Collins as Sherlock and Mark Zeisler as Watson are competent, if utterly forgettable, in their roles as the world's most famous detective and his sidekick. And while Jane Ridley as Mrs. Hudson gives the most interesting performance, her stage time is sadly limited.

Admittedly television shows such as "Sherlock" and "Elementary" have set the bar rather high for modernizations of the great detective. But one would do better to curl up at home with one of those for an evening.

It unfortunate when a company as strong as the Huntington delivers a dud, but it hopefully makes us appreciate their much more frequent successes.

"Sherlock's Last Case" continues through October 28 at the Huntington Avenue Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA. For more information, the Huntington Theatre website.