Mrs Hudson’s Diaries: A View from the Landing at 221b

Behind every great man there stands a great woman, so the adage goes - and never does it apply more wholeheartedly than in Barry and Bob Cryer’s hilarious reimagining of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Except that behind the great detective there stands a great woman demanding rent! The diaries of Sherlock Holmes’ landlady and housekeeper reveal a portrait of life below stairs at 221b Baker Street that is by turns silly, slapstick and sentimental. What results is an affectionate and hilarious sketch of a remarkably enterprising Victorian female whose humorous musings cover everything from the Boer War, boxing and Music Hall legend Bella Lomax to where to buy the best accompaniment for mutton. She even helps solve his cases! In the Conan Doyle books, Holmes and Mrs Hudson’s relationship lasted for nearly seventeen years meaning that, for many fans, she has the greatest claim to be the woman in his life. Yet Mrs Hudson only appears in fifteen of the stories and Conan Doyle doesn’t even give her a first name. Barry and Bob Cryer fill in these gaps with relish, mustard and no small amount of dropped eaves.