The Speckled Band Author's Expanded Edition - Softcover

Conan Doyle, Sir Arthur

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1411671627 ISBN 13: 9781411671621

Publisher: lulu.com, 2009

Synopsis

On June 4th, 1910 footlights at the Adelphi Theatre in London kindled. Sherlock Holmes walked the stage. Holmes & Watson worked their usual magic on the audiences; but this time they were nearly overshadowed by the burly villain, Dr. Grimesby Rylott, who petted his giant snake in its wicker basket while the Hindu servant played eerie music on a pipe. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's bow at curtain call was upstaged when the villain appeared with the snake draped around his neck. The only fault of the play was the terrible ending. The form of the Sherlock Holmes short stories was missing. The conclusion lacked Holmes' explanations of how he came to his deductions - considered de rigeur among Holmes aficionados. The editor of "The Speckled Band: Author's Expanded Edition" has attempted to correct some of the play's shortcomings by reintroducing material from the short story & integrating elements from other adaptations (notably the BBC radio & television series) with the original Conan Doyle stageplay.

About this title

From the Publisher:

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SOCIETY OF LONDON Roger Johnson, Mole End, 41 Sandford Road, Chelmsford CM2 6DE e-mail: rojerjohnson@yahoo.co.uk

no. 262 10 May 2006

In 1910, as a hasty replacement for his play The House of Temperley, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote The Speckled Band, which, with HA Saintsbury as Sherlock Holmes and Lyn Harding as Dr Grimesby Rylott (sic), was a huge success. Nevertheless, some aspects of the play were recognised even then to be unsatisfactory. Holmes does not explain how he reached his conclusions, for instance, though that's an essential part of the original story; and, as Conan Doyle acknowledged, 'in trying to give Holmes a worthy antagonist I overdid it and produced a more interesting personality in the villain.' Now we have 'The Author's Expanded Edition' edited by Alan Lance Andersen, which very cleverly adjusts the play to provide a metamenusis, and to redress the balance between Holmes and Rylott, as well as tidying up one or two other irregularities. The subtitle may seem rather presumptuous, but Mr Andersen has drawn entirely on the original story for this, except, as he admits 'for some of the stage! directions and 17 words of my own that were necessary for clarification'. It's a brilliant idea very cleverly executed, and the result is an exciting and intelligent thriller that should be powerful on stage.

Review:

A brilliant idea very cleverly executed ... the result is an exciting and intelligent thriller that should be powerful on stage. -- THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SOCIETY OF LONDON

About this edition

• Publisher: lulu.com
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1411671627
• ISBN 13: 9781411671621
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 118