The Speckled Band

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.