A collection of historic reviews and articles on Sherlockian theatrical performances from contemporary newspapers.

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The Return of Sherlock Holmes (J.E. Harold Terry & Arthur Rose)
1923
28 September - ?: The Playhouse, Cardiff, Wales
9 October - February 1924: Prince’s Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, England

1924
March: Repertory Theatre, Nottingham, England
March 10 - 15: Grand Theatre, Hull, England
March: Theatre Royal, Huddersfield, England
June 16 - 21: Prince's Theatre, Bristol, England
July: The Hippodrome, Margate, Kent, England
July 21 - 26: Pleasure Gardens Theatre, Folkestone, Kent, England
October: Empire Theatre, Preston, England

(Information above on performance dates is derived from newspaper archives and is therefore likely to be incomplete.)

“SHERLOCK HOLMES”
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New Detective Play.
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“The Return of Sherlock Holmes,” produced at the Playhouse, Cardiff, on Monday night, is a new drama surrounding that famous character of fiction, presented by Messrs J.E. Harold Terry and Mr Arthur Rose. This adventure of the popular detective proves as thrilling as any previous story of his exploits.

The story begins three years after the destruction of Moriarty, and illustrates a struggle with the latter’s lieutenant, Moran. Holmes reappears on the scene when Lady Frances Carfax is by way of being slowly poisoned by Doctor Shlessinger and his sister Cecilia, with the aid of a scientist, Mortimer Profennis. Lady Frances is taken from their control, and quickly recovers, but her fiancé, Philip Green, has been decoyed away, and is threatened with death unless he reveals where he has deposited Lady Frances’s valuable securities.

Holmes, unarmed and unaided, penetrates the stronghold of Moran and secures Green’s release. He is later attacked by Moran, but Holmes triumphs. Moran with his chief confederates, is finally mastered and lodged with Scotland Yard’s officials. Thrill follows thrill, and it is with a sigh of relief the audience sees the terrible Moran safely handcuffed and at last rendered harmless.

The part of Sherlock Holmes could be in no better hands than those of Eille Norwood. He has been accepted by the public as the living embodiment of the famous character, and has appeared in no less than forty-five film versions of the detective’s adventures. Mr Norwood s also the producer of the play.

Miss Hilda Moore appears as Cecilia, and scores another notable success. Miss Enid Reade, a well-known actress of local connections, deserves much praise for her clever portrayal of Lady Frances. Mr Lauderdale Maitland, as Moran, is, after Mr Norwood, the strongest personality in the piece. Mr H.G. Stoker, in the role of Dr Watson, is a faithful interpreter of the popular part.

Mr Eric Stanley, as Milverton, a blackmailer, is remarkably good. Mr Arthur Cullin, as Shlessinger, should be complimented upon a capital performance. Mr Noel Dainton, as Philip Green, is a talented exponent of the role. Mr Stafford Hilliard does exceedingly well as Mortimer Profennis; while Master Victor Evans, as Holmes’ wonderful messenger boy assistant, scores a particular success.

The play is booked for presentation at the Prince’s Theatre, London, on Tuesday, Oct. 9.

The Era, Saturday 3 October 1923
found at www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

“SHERLOCK HOLMES” ON TOUR
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One of the longest continuous tours of the leading provincial cities that has been arranged for some years will start on February 18th, when the London production of “The Return of Sherlock Holmes,” together with the most important members of the West End Company, including Mr Eille Norwood, will, Following their long run at the Prince’s Theatre, begin a year’s tour of the country, including Hull.

This play has no connection with any of the “Sherlock Holmes” dramas that have been seen in the past. It is a new and original play written by those well-known dramatists, J.E. Harold Terry and Arthur Rose, and based on incidents in the career of “Sherlock Holmes” that have never previously been used as dramatic material. Its success in London has been due to the qualities of the play itself, but also to the extraordinarily fine work of Eille Norwood in the role of the great detective.

Before the play was produced in London, some 20,000,000 people throughout the world had seen Eille Norwood as “Sherlock Holmes” through the medium of the films. He had made no fewer than 45 distinct moving pictures based on the Conan Doyle stories, which had been shown in every country in the world. But it was a revelation to London, and to the London critics, who were unanimous in their praise of Mr Norwood’s performance in the flesh, not merely in the flicker.

In addition to Mr Norwood, the company to be seen will include Arthur Vezin as “Dr Watson,” Lichfield Owen, Frederick Maxwell as “Colonel Sebastian Moran,” who is the villain of the piece and successor in crime to “Sherlock’s” old antagonist “Moriarty,” Winifred Griffiths, Grizelda Harvey, and many other well-known players.

This new “Sherlock Holmes” play, which several good critics described as being the nest of all the plays that have been written around the character, has already been sold for America and practically every European country, including Holland, where it has just been produced with Henri de Vries, the famous Dutch actor, in the principal part.

Hull Daily Mail, Saturday 19 January 1924
found at www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk