Albertus Koett – Minimalist Holmes

Albertus Koett is a homegrown RDC Theatre Program alumnus now working as the VP of Productions at CAT. Adding to the many hats that he’s worn as an actor, Albertus is the writer, director, and designer of his own theatre series “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.” Albertus started the project on a long flight with a bit of overdue reading material and saw a challenge worth taking on in adapting Arthur Conan Doyle’s series and tailoring it specifically to the constraints of the cozy Nickle Studio.

At any given time, there might be dozens of Holmes adaptations in the world. Albertus sees this as freedom to tell stories that interest him within the framework of the source material. Doyle’s own inconsistencies within the Sherlock series allow Albertus to put his own stamp on the characters, expanding and cutting where applicable, giving voices to characters who were underserved at the time.

He has modernized some content for accessibility and to address issues of importance in our era: making room for diverse characters, addressing addiction and work-related drug abuse, omitting tobacco use on principle. These aren’t anachronistic liberties taken for granted in his writing. Albertus’s writes the culture of 19^th century London to respond to his new diverse characters as he feels it would have at the time.

Over the course of the first season, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes has introduced 10 new actors to the Central Alberta Theatre, allowing newcomers to train and learn from Red Deer’s theatre community (acting, stage design). The returning cast features Jason Steele, Paul Sutherland, Lorraine Stewart, and Tristan Luck. Writing has been a dynamic process, Albertus uses the performances of his cast to inspire the development of his characters. He’s brought back one-off characters because of particular performances that he has enjoyed.

Looking to get involved in the production? Auditions for the February installment will be held this December.

Additionally, Albertus is looking for local artists to feature in the Baker St. Band. He is offering access to his attentive audience and a $50 honorarium for a 15-minute performance before Sherlock takes the stage. Contact The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Facebook page for more information.

SCENE NEXT – Season Two of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes begins with “The Second Stain,” September 20^th-22^nd at the Nickle Studio. The story picks up as Holmes manages the fallout of the 1^st season’s finale: Moriarty has kidnapped Mrs. Hudson and Watson is nowhere to be found after confronting Holmes and his drug addiction. The series remains welcoming to newcomers who are jumping in to the middle of his story, while also rewarding the returning audience with call backs from previous installments. The final batch of tickets to this limited series will be on sale September 1^st via Black Knight Inn.  Follow the series’ Facebook page for cast and crew bios, behind the scenes content, and ticket and performance announcements.