Not so elementary, my dear

“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.”

If anyone else uttered that line, it might be chalked up to mere Wildean wordplay, the tossing off of breezy, ironic wit. But when Sherlock Holmes makes an observation, he means it, and in “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure” we listen.

Wayside Theatre opens the October mystery season with this 2007 Edgar A. Poe Award winner for Best Mystery Play. Holmes purists might not be amused, but the rest of us can whole-heartedly rejoice in the return of literature’s greatest detective. With a polite nod to Sir Arthur Doyle, playwright Steven Dietz has woven together plot elements of two Holmes stories: “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Adventure of the Final Problem.” The result as it appears at Wayside is utterly absorbing — a nonstop odyssey peppered with surprises (both dangerous and romantic), down-the-rabbit hole-type entanglements, and a light garnish of wit.

The King of Bohemia is about to be married, not to the opera singer whose affections he toyed with in royal style, but to a lady more suitable to his rank. Ancient history no less than modern is full of examples of amorous gentlemen’s foolish excesses. When those gentlemen are heads of states, people tend to notice. The jilted opera singer has a compromising photo and the King, now haunted by a reasonable paranoia, wants it back. Unfortunately for him, the photo is worth its weight in sterling for its blackmailing value. Only Sherlock Holmes can help, if he only will.

Director Warner Crocker has trusted both the script and the strengths of his cast and crew with this one. The first of many happy surprises is the return of John Alcott playing Sherlock Holmes. Mr. Alcott nails an interpretation that, through sheer force of personality, permits all of his oddities to make sense. His preternatural gift for observation is a given, of course. His cocaine habit, his fussiness about food, his utter inability to relate to women on any level beyond the rational — even with the woman he has fallen for — are just facets that fall naturally into place. And what’s not to love about a man who tries to court a woman with a book on the history of limestone?

But the lofty, intellectual aerostat that is Holmes must have a tether to function in this world, and Dr. Watson is just the man. David Maga as Watson, that “fixed point in a changing world”, narrates while gracefully shifting back and forth in the swift time and place changes of his story.

Superb performances by J. Jayson Belew as the King of Bohemia, Vaughn Irving in multiple roles but particularly the rough-hewn Sid Prince, and Cody Murphy as Holmes’ great nemesis, Professor Moriarty, keep this mystery-thriller in top form. Thomasin Savaiano, always an asset to Wayside, is especially strong as the opera singer, Irene Adler. Not only does she possess something the King of Bohemia desperately needs, she enchants Holmes first with her voice, then with her diva’s talent for intrigue, not to mention revenge.

Dave Sucharski as the duplicitous James Larrabee and Aviva Pressman as his conniving sister, Madge, round out this stellar cast.

Wise choices in scene and lighting design take full advantage of Wayside’s modest stage. Opting for a suggested area staging, Til Turner has sketched with a broad brush while adding details that keep scenes solidly anchored. Under Paul Callahan’s lights, scenes appear, vanish, and seque magically into each other; likewise, Crocker has kept the pacing crisp, a crucial factor in a piece with such breakneck twists and turns.

Steve Przybylski’s sound design and original compositions contribute to a faint undertow of menace just out of view, and Tamara Carruthers’ costumes echo the classical lines of late 19th century London and Europe.

His original creator may be dead, but Sherlock Holmes has returned for one thoroughly captivating final adventure. With a little luck — something Holmes would never agree exists — perhaps it won’t be the last.

Lawrence is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association. She teaches drama and English at Culpeper County High School.

Want to go?

What: “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure,” playing through Nov. 7

Where: Wayside Theatre, Middletown

Call: (540) 869-1776

Online: waysidetheatre.org