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Playing ‘The Trick’

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Sherlock Holmes from Screen to Stage

Part of the book series: Adaptation in Theatre and Performance ((ATP))

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Abstract

Developing from Chap. 4’s examination of game-playing in Sherlock Holmes adaptations for the theatre, this chapter singles out a particular aspect of the Holmes stories: the moment when the detective deduces startlingly precise information about a visitor to Baker Street through close observation. Drawing on the theory of ‘dark play’ and suggestions of Holmes as a conjuror, the chapter argues that the observational technique known as ‘the trick’ represents Holmes at his most morally ambiguous. Changing social conventions have made ‘the trick’ an even more compelling and troubling piece of theatre in contemporary adaptations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Theatre, Film and Television, University of York, Heslington, UK

    Benjamin Poore

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  1. Benjamin Poore
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Correspondence to Benjamin Poore .

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Poore, B. (2017). Playing ‘The Trick’. In: Sherlock Holmes from Screen to Stage. Adaptation in Theatre and Performance. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46963-2_5

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