I have seen a lot of fringe theatre. Some of it is lovely. Some of it is trying very hard. And some of it makes you sit up and think: why is this woman not on my television screen right now? That is exactly how I felt after watching Baker Street Ladies at the Fireside Folktales Fringe Festival in Barnes on 24 May.
The play is a one woman show written and performed by Lexi Wolfe. She is a multi award winning actress and writer, and after seeing her work I can tell you those awards are well earned. She plays three different characters from the world of Sherlock Holmes: Mrs Hudson, Mary Watson, and Irene Adler. Sherlock and Dr Watson are out on a case. The audience is an unnamed visitor sitting in their living room. And one by one, these three women walk in and tell us what it is really like to live with the world’s most brilliant and most impossible detective.
I met Lexi backstage before and after the show. She is lovely, warm, and incredibly talented. We chatted for a few minutes and I came away thinking: this woman should be in a period drama. She should be in a film. She should be in a Netflix series that I binge watch in two nights. Think Sherlock meets Bridgerton. She has that rare thing. She can make you laugh, then break your heart, then make you laugh again before you have time to wipe your eyes.
The performance itself was flawless. Lexi plays Mrs Hudson as a fiercely protective Scottish grandmother type. She fusses, she cleans, she complains about the stains on the carpet. But you can feel the affection underneath. It is funny and warm and utterly convincing.
Then she becomes Mary Watson. Dr Watson’s wife. A woman who is constantly left behind while her husband runs off with Sherlock. The shift is remarkable. Her body language changes. Her voice softens. Her eyes carry a different weight. I genuinely forgot I was watching the same actor. That is not easy to do.
Then she becomes Irene Adler. The opera singer who once outwitted Holmes. She is mysterious, clever, and completely in control. It is a masterclass in character acting.
The play is set in the reception room of 221B Baker Street. The audience is the visitor. We sit and listen as each woman shares her story. There is humour, especially when Mrs Hudson wields a feather duster like a weapon. There is also real emotion. Mary Watson’s monologue left me clutching my programme. I saw other people wiping their eyes.
The show is recommended for ages 8 and up. Younger children might get restless because it is quiet and atmospheric. There are no loud noises or flashy effects. Just excellent writing and even better acting.
This play is fringe theatre at its best. Intimate. Clever. Performed with heart and skill. But Lexi Wolfe deserves more than a community centre in Barnes. I could easily see Baker Street Ladies in a proper West End venue. I could see it adapted for television. I could see Lexi herself cast in Downton Abbey or a new Sherlock Holmes series or a film set in any period you care to name. She has the presence and the talent.
If you get a chance to see this show, do not hesitate. Follow Lexi Wolfe on social media. Go to her next production wherever it is. She is one to watch and I will be first in line.
Baker Street Ladies is produced by Slade Wolfe Enterprises Limited. Lexi Wolfe holds the record for portraying Mary Morstan more times than any other actress in theatrical history. That is a fact I love.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
