Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency at The Spring, Havant REVIEW: 'There is a great deal to enjoy in this production'

Well, nothing deters HumDrum from taking on a challenge and with Caz Gilmore’s production they rise to it with characteristic flare and imagination.

Before I even get to what the actors did, what struck me most forcibly was how, to bring this surreal tale to the stage, the skill of every theatrical department is celebrated. Ingenious set design, lovingly detailed prop making, a riotous display of costume, versatile sound and lighting are used to drive the story-telling forward, all topped off with some witty projected animation.

The actors clearly relish the opportunities Adams gives them. The play is funny and absurd, but it’s also thought provoking and at times touching. Tim Skedge is excellent as Dirk Gently. His command of often quite complex material never falters. He catches both the intellectual certainty and the self-effacing charm of a man who knows he is out of step with the world around him.

Everyone in the cast has their stand-out moment from John Moore as a nervous window (don’t ask!) to Mike Palmer’s fine, animal-themed monologue. James George exploits well the mercurial wit and the underlying pathos of Professor Chronotis. Leila Millson characterises the volatile Susan with dynamic comic energy. Nathan Blake catches perfectly the frantic determination of Richard MacDuff to keep up with the chaos round him.

It is a long show and the pace did drop in the closing scenes on this opening night. To heavily paraphrase Professor Chronotis, ‘There is no work of art that won’t benefit from a little editing’. But for all that, if you are an ardent Adams fan or you have never stepped into his mesmerising world before, there is a great deal to enjoy in this production.

Until Saturday.