Bob Davis and Steve Hendrickson Photo by Rich Ryan

In act one, Hendrickson and Davis are Holmes and Watson. Act two takes place 25 years later, with Davis as Poirot and Hendrickson as his faithful assistant, Captain Hastings. Both actors excel in their respective roles, with Hendrickson underplaying Holmes' shrewd intelligence and clearly having a blast playing the incredulous, lovelorn Hastings. As Watson, Davis is all internal turmoil, and his fastidious Poirot is a consummate performer. The playful script lives up to the concept by providing a credible murder mystery plot and finding fascinating use of ensemble actors. As with Holmes and Poirot, the double casting of each individual ensemble actor in act two mirrors their character or another character in act one. The dialects, coached by Gillian Constable, are mostly consistent, and numerous.

The scenic design by Erik Paulsen is functional and similarly playful: a self-contained curtain is used to make revelations in key dramatic moments, and the set walls rise into a maze befitting the action of the story. Director Goldstein keeps the pace moving, as a slow build in the first act leads to the fast-paced revelatory climax in act two.

Matthew J. LeFebvre's costume designs are most striking in their silhouettes, which serve to immediately distinguish the characters. In act one, Holmes briefly dons his famous deerstalker cap and Inverness cape, drunken Mademoiselle Raspail is recognizable by her exposed shoulder, and damsel Lily Berenger ends the act with a hat befitting Ascot a la My Fair Lady. The color palette is somewhat muted in act one, with Holmes and Watson attired in various degrees of beige, and brightens considerably in the more comedic act two featuring bright flapper dresses on the younger women and the exquisitely dressed Poirot in a dapper pinstripe suit and spectator shoes.

Holmes Poirot is the first production since Park Square's rebranding, embodying their new mission, "The stories you want, the artists you love." The murder mystery genre is something Park Square has always done well, and in this production nearly all involved, from the playwrights to the cast to the designers, are well-loved and highly respected Twin Cities' artists. As a fan of the genre and so many of those involved, I highly recommend Holmes Poirot. This is a polished production that will keep you guessing, and leave you connecting plot points and characters for hours afterwards.

Holmes Poirot runs through November 3, 2024, at the Park Square Theatre, 20 W 7th Pl, St Paul MN. For tickets and information, please visit parksquaretheatre.org or call 651- 291-7005.