Humor is a fickle thing. It can entertain and distract, shock and criticize. It can flood you with witticisms, or use no words at all. To meet nearly all its purposes head-on is no small feat, yet one that playwright Ken Ludwig achieved quite regularly. In his 2015 piece Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Ludwig takes on the titular character with verve. Adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Hound of Baskervilles — the first to feature Holmes since his presumed death in Doyle’s short story “The Final Problem” — the play revolves around the Baskerville family and the curse of a demonic hound that has afflicted them and their ancestral estate in Devon’s Dartmoor region since the English Civil War. When news arrives that the baronet Sir Charles Baskerville has died of fright just outside his Dartmoor home, and surrounded by some rather outsized paw prints, Dr. James Mortimer, the executor of Charles’ colossal estate, appears on the doorstep of the only men he can think to help him crack the case: Mr. Sherlock Holmes and his confidant Dr. John Watson. Nervous about the safety of Charles’ sole beneficiary, his pistol-wielding, spur-sporting Texan brother Sir Henry Baskerville, Mortimer recruits Dr. Watson to assist in the investigation. It soon becomes clear that Dartmoor hides much more than meets the eye, and what ensues is a high-wire act of zany characters, treacherous threats, and clever subterfuge. John Mathews, Adam Weidner, and Kristoffer Saylor in ‘Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.’ Photo by Amanda Elena Photography. In their boisterously glib take on the classic, Kim Leone and Bob Thompson’s production of Baskerville with Prince William Little Theatre taps every vein in Ken Ludwig’s farcical adaptation. With a cast of only five and 40 characters to fill, the show leans heavily into Ludwig’s characteristic playfulness. There are quick changes and wall breaks and accents galore — complete with a healthy amount of frizzy wigs and peeling facial hair. Blurring the lines between performativity and self-awareness, Prince William Little Theatre revels in the messiness of theater and storytelling. Whether waiting on his actors to assemble as he draws out a convoluted theory, or cloaking himself in a flurry of tweed before leaving 221B Baker Street, John Mathews’ Sherlock strikes just the right balance of dutiful nostalgia and off-kilter caricature. Together with Will Macleod’s affably uptight and hapless Dr. Watson, the show rests on the solid foundation of one of literature’s most familiar and engaging duos. Complementing Mathew and Macleod’s charming dynamic is the show’s most impressive feat: its sweeping troupe of madcap supporting characters, all brought to life by an ensemble of only three. From Adam Weidner’s ebullient Sir Henry to Kristoffer Saylor’s nutty Mr. Stapleton and Kate Bierly’s austere Eliza Barrymore, every role is a riot. The show’s ensemble moves fluidly between characters, stumbling only ever on purpose to collect a laugh and then moving swiftly along. In the traditions of John Bishop and Michael Frayn, Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville is a high-octane romp that only succeeds with the unwavering commitment and intention of its cast. With her small but mighty cast, director Kim Leone has struck the ideal balance. TOP: Kate Bierly, John Mathews, and Will MacLeod; ABOVE: Will MacLeod, Kristoffer Saylor, and John Mathews, in ‘Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery.’ Photos by Amanda Elena Photography. The inherent chaos of Prince William Little Theatre’s production is only buttressed by its use of the (fabulously named) periaktoi, which spin to transport its cast from Baker Street to downtown London to Dartmoor. While at times a bit confusingly executed, the show’s set embraces the clumsy and constructed nature of all storytelling. Kim Leone even makes a point of centering the show’s stagehand and swing Paul Jago and encourages her cast to play with the tropes of the detective genre. Ultimately, Prince William Little Theatre’s production of Baskerville embraces both the quirky mystery Doyle originally wrote and the farcical caper Ken Ludwig mined from it. Running Time: Two hours, including one 15-minute intermission. Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery plays through October 13, 2024, presented by Prince William Little Theatre performing at the Gregory Family Theater in the Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA. Tickets ($25 adult; $20 senior, student, and military; $15 youth 12 and under) are available online or through the Hylton Center box office at 703-993-7759, Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. Technical Direction and Set Construction by Andrew Harasty; Lighting Design by Franklin Coleman; Costume Design by Jill Jago and Riley Leonhardt; Sound Design by Liz Shaher.