REVIEW: In a Handbag Darkly

In a Handbag Darkly                     Runs Apr 30–May 23                                iDiOM Theater

   By Robin Johnson                         Tickets- $10 advance, $12 at door         1418 Cornwall Ave

                                                                                                                            Bellingham, WA 98225

     For their Spring Rep, The iDiOM Theater showcased a back-to-back showing of two one-act plays called Broken Holmes and In a Handbag Darkly. For those of you who are fairly familiar with the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and the play The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde, you will all have a wonderful laugh with the cast of these two plays. They are quite spoofy and have inside jokes relating to the actual works and I highly recommend reading or getting familiar with them. 

     First of all, I wanted to note that both of the plays were written by Robin Johnson and directed by iDiOM veteran Bryce Hamilton. Knowing this, it was very interesting to see two works on the same stage, with the same actors and familiar props. Most people would agree that it would be a dangerous move to recycle the actors in two different plays, not to mention directly after one another! However, Hamilton pulled through and the actors made it refreshing to see them again in another context. As for the props and stage, it quite helped that these two plays could be considered part of the same era and it worked for the crew to keep most of the furnishings for both acts. I had never been to the iDiOM before this show, very lovely space to work in and just big enough for a good number of people but not large enough to feel like you're just another person who paid and sits in row 600 from the main stage only squinting to see what they are doing or cupping your ear to hear what they were saying. Nice and quaint; but I like that personal atmosphere.
   

Broken Holmes/In a Handbag Darkly at iDiOM Theater. Photo: Jolene Hanson

     Let's take a closer look into In a Handbag Darkly. I had just read The Importance of Being Earnest, and was able to comprehend the clever puns that hid in the dialogue. My favorite being the nod to 'Bunbury'. Though, I took my boyfriend with me (who was quite unfamiliar with the story or text) and everyone could tell he was definitely lost or missed the punchline of the whole act. Most the time I had to lean over and explain some things whilst it was too late and another complicated inside joke occurred. Although, he was not the only one, there were moments where I felt like the act went on a tangent and wondered "Where the hell did this Mr. Handbag come from?!". One piece I quite enjoy in theatre, is that there are parts that are left up to the audience member to interpret for themselves. The decision to create a "backstage" area behind the set to give an idea of another room was very well thought out. Not everything needs to be right in front of our eyes to understand what's going on. The train station's luggage room was unseen but we understood that that area was meant to symbolize it and we can add our own imagination into that as well.  Quite an interesting story overall and a hilarious take on a classic piece of work.

Sources Cited:

• "Spring Rep: Broken Holmes & In a Handbag Darkly | IDiOM Theater." IDiOM Theater. Web. 18 May 2015.  
•  "Review: Broken Holmes/In a Handbag Darkly." PlayBell. 2 May 2015. Web. 18 May 2015.
•   "The Importance of Being Earnest." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 18 May 2015.
•   "Sherlock Holmes." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 18 May 2015.