"Please can we have some quiet on set," shouts a harassed-looking member of the Sherlock crew.
You can understand her concern – the road in London that doubles for the famous 221B Baker Street, home to Sherlock Holmes, is packed with hundreds of giddy fans hoping to catch a glimpse of one of their heroes filming a scene. Some are hanging out of windows, others are straining for a decent view in a crowd at least three deep.
When Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch stroll towards “221B Baker Street” late at night, the screams are of the kind usually reserved for heartthrob pop stars. Not bad, really, for two 40-something men.
It must be difficult, I say to one of the production team, to shoot in front of what is effectively a live audience. “Oh no, it’s not that,” he says, bemused. “They’re really well behaved when we’re filming. We have to keep them quiet the rest of the time so the residents don’t complain.”
Earlier that day, producer Sue Vertue told me fans had been gathering on North Gower Street since 9am, mobilised by the hashtag #setlock. “I told them we’re not doing anything interesting today, it’s just in and out of doors,” she says. “But they want to be there. I think it’s a kind of friendship for them.”
It must be something more than passing interest, as the scenes we see that evening are genuinely “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” set-up shots. Not one line appears to be uttered. No one seems particularly bothered. So why is Nicole from Germany spending her evening standing a dark side street on a humid London evening?
“Because the characters are interesting and it’s a good storyline,” she says. “And maybe we’ll see an explosion.”
She actually sees something that is almost the opposite – a powerful rain machine making “Baker Street” look suitably foreboding – but even that seems to intrigue the fans. “For me, it’s so interesting being able to witness how this really intricate show is put together,” says Michael, from Ohio, in the United States.
“This will barely be anything in the finished episode, I’m sure, but I love the attention to detail. It’s the kind of show you can watch again and again and pick up new things.”
There’s a hubbub to my left. Freeman has gone over to speak to fans. Given that I’ve already had my audience with Watson, I leave the star-struck hordes to it, but when he’s ushered away to 221B Baker Street, I jump in his place in front of the crowd.
Talking to a reporter from The National isn't quite as exciting as shooting the breeze with Bilbo Baggins, but Maja from Denmark humours me when I ask about her chat. "He was so down to earth," she says, wide-eyed. "He just asked how we were and thanked us for coming. Maybe that's one of the reasons I like Sherlock – it's magical and very normal in the same moment."
And with that, a respectful silence descends again as the night shoot continues. These fans, drawn from all over the globe, are definitely here for the duration.
artslife@thenational.ae
