In Watson: The Final Problem, you delve into the legacy of Sherlock Holmes through the lens of Dr. Watson. What inspired you to focus on Watson as the storyteller and narrator for this production?

Tim Marriot: On a family holiday to Switzerland our local friends took us to Meiringen, where we were amazed to find a statue of Sherlock Holmes and a museum, recreating the interior of 221b Baker Street. We walked up to the Reichenbach Falls and reminded ourselves of the Moriarty story. Over dinner we reflected on the day and imagined what it must have been like for Dr Watson to lose his great companion and then, cruelly, his beloved wife Mary shortly afterwards. Our friends suggested that this was a story worth telling, highlighting Watson’s resilience and stoicism in the face of great personal trauma. We tend to focus on Sherlock Holmes and forget that the stories were written in the first person, that Watson can be a Conan Doyle’s alter ego. We agreed that this could form the basis of a layered and relevant solo performance.

However, I am no great Sherlock-ian! To take on such material I felt that I needed an expert on board so approached Bert Coules, the Head Writer on the BBC’s unique project of adapting all the stories for Radio 4. Not only did this wonderfully generous man agree to co-write, but also direct and create a magical soundscape of audio effects to accompany the performance.

National Storytelling Week celebrates the power of narratives to connect and inspire. How do you think the Sherlock Holmes stories and particularly your interpretation, contribute to this tradition?

Bert Coules: I was delighted when Tim asked me to be part of this show because I've always believed that the stories are much more than just "Sherlock Holmes solves a mystery".  They're actually about a friendship: the deep and developing friendship of two very different men who come to realise that they need each other, that together they're stronger and better people.  That's a universal, timeless theme and one which I like to think still resonates for people today.  It's something which Conan Doyle certainly touches on in the original tales, but giving John Watson centre stage enables him to celebrate and explore the partnership and its ramifications at greater length and possibly greater depth.

And they're heroes: everybody needs heroes.

Storytelling on stage requires engaging an audience in real time. What techniques do you employ to bring Watson’s memories and the world of Sherlock Holmes to life for your viewers?

Tim Marriot: In order to engage an audience, I wanted this to be a direct address piece, personal and affecting. Although many different characters appear within the story, the voices are always Watson’s interpretation of them. I don’t crowd the stage with a costume rail and various hats to play multiple characters, I just play one man telling his tale to his friends.

In order to achieve this sense of personal connection I often perform with house lights on so that I can engage directly with the audience and at various points asking them questions, thus placing them within the present of the story.

I am also blessed with Bert Coules’ excellent sound effects that transport the audience to Victorian London and beyond, to the journey to the Reichenbach Falls with steam trains, Big Ben chimes, bells, echoing footsteps, thunderous waterfalls and our own magically haunting violin theme tune composed and recorded by my friend Clive Whitburn.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s works are rich with intricate plots and vivid characters. What challenges did you face in adapting this material for the stage while staying true to the essence of the original stories?

Bert Coules: I don't think of Watson: The Final Problem as "adapting the stories" but more as using them as a springboard, but obviously the originals, or some of them, do play a major part.  One thing we were very aware of was trying never to break what you might call the "Conan Doyle spell": that meant using no language or references that Doyle couldn't have used if he'd chosen to, as well as keeping absolutely to the way his characters would behave and think.  There are a couple of places where we perhaps pushed that rule close to its limit, but they seem to be accepted by audiences, so I think we were justified.

Can you share a memorable moment from performing Watson: The Final Problem - perhaps an audience reaction or a personal realisation that reinforced the power of storytelling?

Tim Marriot: There have been many such moments. Performing in village halls, regional theatre venues, at festivals in Edinburgh and Adelaide, even Off Broadway at Theater 58E59 or on-board Queen Mary 2, the resonance of Watson’s personal journey through grief and trauma, told with self-deprecating humour and stoic resolve, opens conversations where they might not otherwise take place. Effective storytelling can encourage others, unlock trauma and hopefully open an avenue towards help.

One moment in particular? The tagline for the play is ‘an old soldier, with a few bruises and a story to tell’ and I’ve met and talked with a fair few who have served in various capacities, but I won’t ever forget the Vietnam veteran who took me aside to thank me for telling Watson’s story and then, for the first time in 25 years, shared his own experiences.

And a personal realisation? Inspired by the veterans I have met with this and other projects, I discovered my own inner strength, resolve and stoicism and ran a marathon, raising funds for Combat Stress.

Watson: The Final Problem isn't your only show on our rural touring scheme. How do you switch between the different styles of storytelling between this show and Jack's Ashes?

Tim Marriot: Honestly? With some difficulty! Jack is a very different character, and a very different era and style. But the themes and issues within both pieces are similar and the mission is the same, to entertain and engage through storytelling and utilise humour with the aim of reducing stigma and opening conversations about mental fitness, stoicism, and resilience. As such, Rural Touring is the ideal platform for both shows, allowing us to engage audiences directly and personally. It is a real privilege to do so.