THEATRE REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas

 

THEATRE REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas

Written by Humphrey Ker & David Reed, with songs by Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd-Webber.
Directed by Phillip Breen.  

This was a show that I had been looking forward to since it had been announced over a year before, with two-thirds of ‘The Penny Dreadfuls’ Humphrey Ker & David Reed presenting a comic take on Holmes and Watson investigating a serial killer who is killing in line with ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, with new songs written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber (collaborating for the first time in 13 years). Aware how popular it was likely to be I booked almost as soon as tickets were released.

I also made sure that I was sitting in my seat in the second row of the Stalls at Birmingham Repertory Theatre (the Rep) in plenty of time for the start. Glancing through the programme, I noted that there were a total of six new Rice/Lloyd Webber songs (and ‘Variation 23’ previously danced to by Wayne Sleep).

The lights went down, and ‘the magic’ certainly happened, as I was transfixed from the opening number to the denouement of Act 1 where all seemed lost. I found myself laughing uproariously and even a little anxious in the one slightly scary scene. I couldn't wait for the interval to be over and for the story to restart. It all came to a wonderful end, and I left the theatre still smiling from ear-to-ear.

Ker and Reed appeared as Holmes and Watson respectively, with both amazing (as was their script), particularly Reed in his big song of Act 2, and neither taking their performance into the realms of caricature. You could really believe them as friends (as they are in real life). They were ably supported by the wonderful Margaret Cabourn-Smith (already a favourite of mine) as Mrs Hudson (and a few other parts) and comedian John Kearns as Inspector Lestrade. I would also wish to praise Helena Wilson as female Detective rival Athena Faversham and Susan Harrison as Ernie, polio-ridden Baker Street Irregular and newspaper boy.

The new songs were also wonderful, with the two very Sherlockian ‘The Game’s Afoot’ and ‘Houses Are Not Holmes’ being my favourites, and Reed’s Watson breaking my heart in the latter. I was looking everywhere on my way out for a CD of the songs (which there wasn’t one) or a QR Code in the programme to download them. (Again, no luck)

The run had already been extended further into the New Year (18^th January 2026), and I must admit that if it had been running in London, I would have immediately booked another ticket. (Maybe it will next year).

Very highly recommended !

 

Dramatic Score: 10/10

Rating:   (6/5)

 

Links: Production Website

           'The Penny Dreadfuls'

THEATRE REVIEW: Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B

THEATRE REVIEW: Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B

Written by Kate Hamill,
Directed by Sean Turner.  

 

The writer of this play, actor-playwright Kate Hamill, was one of the most-produced playwrights in America from 2017-2023, and tied for the honour of the most-produced playwright in America for 2024/25. From the adverts that have been popping up on my Facebook page, a large proportion of this has been professional and amateur US productions of this comedic play which describes itself as ‘reimagining Holmes and Watson as a fiercely funny, gloriously dysfunctional female duo navigating post-pandemic London with sharp wits and banter’. Having finally made its way over the Atlantic to the Arcola Theatre in Dalston, I booked a ticket. (Unfortunately, the performance that I had originally booked was cancelled due to cast sickness fifteen minutes before curtain up, so I had to return just under a week later).

Taking my seat in a half-full theatre, I was slightly concerned, having avoided all reviews, but following a rather contrived prologue (which in my view slightly took away the drama of Holmes’ first exit), I found myself thoroughly enjoying the first meeting between Sherlock and Joan (the latter’s ‘Doctor’ status being a point of discussion) in the Baker Street apartment. The first half was a reimagining of ‘A Study in Scarlet’ leading into ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, with the arrival of Irene Adler (reinvented as a sex worker) to the apartment being the cue for the interval. The second half completed SCAN, before going its own way to a denouement, which was followed by a final scene that took us as the audience by surprise, having clapped at the blackout after the denouement.

Save a few times when Americanisms crept into a play allegedly set in London (even the title should probably be ‘- Flat 2B’), I enjoyed Hamill’s script. Lucy Farrett was wonderful as Holmes, with just the right amount of nervous energy and with strong support from Simona Brown as Watson. Alice Lucy was a vampish Irene (and a Scottish Mrs. Hudson) who sizzled in scenes with Farrett, and Tendai Humphrey Sitima made the best of some underwritten characters. The set was also very impressive, mainly as the apartment, but also as other locations, achieved by way of simple set dressing and lighting changes.

An enjoyable night out.

Dramatic Score: 9/10

Rating:  (4/5)

Sherlockian Sojourns #80: 'Could you go as far as Aldershot?' [CROO]

A penultimate sojourn for 2025, previously planned for almost a month earlier when I was supposed to be in the area for a theatre show, but moved when that was cancelled. The main object of my quest was the Army Town of Aldershot, which features in ‘The Crooked Man’. This adventure involves Holmes calling upon Watson at his surgery late one night in 1889 to request his assistance in an investigation. Holmes explains that, at Aldershot Army Camp, Colonel James Barclay of The Royal Mallows and his wife Nancy DeVoy Barclay were a seemingly happy couple; however, Barclay has died, and his wife is suspected of his murder. The two therefore travel to Aldershot, and I decided to do likewise (after a short detour).

Catching a train to Guildford, I changed onto another train for the twenty minute trip to Blackwater. From here I took a taxi to my first port of call, Minley Manor, a French-style manor house built in 1860. This appeared as the boarding school run by Miss Harrison (Fiona Shaw) in ‘Enola Holmes’ (2020), and also appeared in the French series ‘Mademoiselle Holmes’ (2024). Its non-Sherlockian appearances include ‘Stardust’ (2007) and ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ (2018).

The gate that the taxi dropped me at, opposite my first barracks of the day, indicated that the road down to the Manor itself was private and that there was no admittance due to police dogs being trained on site. However, I was aware that the Manor was visible from nearby parkland. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong direction to strike off in, and ended up walking three sides of square before I got a clear view to take distant photos of the Manor.

   

It was then a forty minute walk to the bus stop that I needed, where I found all buses to be delayed, but finally found myself on a #3 bus to Camberley, having to run to catch a connecting bus, #1Gold. On sitting down in my seat, I noticed that the advertising on the bus indicated that buses are every ten minutes, meaning that my run was unnecessary. Passing several roads named after Queen Victoria and Albert, we finally reached Hammersley Avenue where I alighted. It was then a two minute walk back to Aldershot Military Museum, housed in the only surviving brick-built barrack blocks left in Aldershot, and dates from the time of The Royal Mallows. The museum tells the story of Aldershot Military Town and the civil towns of Aldershot, Farnborough and Cove. Having taken multiple photos of the building, I entered, paying for admission (which allowed free return within a year).

   

The first part of the museum related to the towns in general, with the Army coming to the fore in the second gallery, which was the other part of a U-shape. Entering this gallery, I initially thought that another visitor or staff member was sitting on one of the beds, so moved to the next section to give them space, before realising that they hadn’t moved, being a mannequin of a typical soldier. The display cases contained a multitude of exhibits dating back to the time of ‘The Crooked Man’, including dress uniforms and medals.

 

  

Exiting the gallery, there were multiple tanks and other armoured vehicles to look at, before I made my way back to the Museum shop, purchasing some postcards of the barracks as it was in the 1890s.

  

Leaving the museum grounds, and taking a few more photos of the current barracks, I made my way along Queen’s Avenue in search of ‘Lachine Villa’, Colonel Barclay’s home which is described as ‘about half a mile from the North Camp’ [CROO]. Being aware that the Victorian camp was demolished in the 1960s, and both darkness and rain coming in, I simply found what seemed to be an appropriate spot, overlooking the current camp.

     

Catching a bus back into central Aldershot, I caught a train back to Guildford and then another home.

 

 

 

 

THEATRE REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt For Moriarty

THEATRE REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt For Moriarty

Adapted by Nick Lane, from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Directed by Nick Lane.  

 

 

Another Sherlockian production from the same production company (Blackeyed Theatre) that I had previously seen tackle ‘The Sign of Four’ in 2018 and ‘The Valley of Fear’ in 2022, this time with a new Holmes and Watson (Mark Knightley and Ben Owara). I saw the production at the newly refurbished Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford as part of its UK tour. On arrival, getting a programme was straightforward, but finding a copy of the advertised playscript was a little more difficult, and having already purchased the programme, I was unable to make use of a combo deal when I finally found them on sale in the cloakroom at the interval.

The play started with Watson and Mrs. Hudson (Pippa Caddick) standing in the burnt out remains of the 221b study, after it had been set on fire by members of Moriarty’s organisation (as per ‘The Final Problem’) mourning the death of Holmes, whilst the stage crew moved items about as firemen. We then moved back in time to the start of Holmes’ active hunting for Moriarty, including elements of ‘The Bruce-Partington Plans’, ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’, ‘The Second Stain’, ‘The Naval Treaty’ and ‘The Priory School’, leading up to the journey to the continent of ‘The Final Problem’, before a return to the burnt out Baker Street for an ending that I won’t spoil.

Trying to cover so many canonical tales in a running time of around two-and-a-half hours (plus interval) meant that some stories got rather short-shrift, with what I would consider to be the key scene of some being ignored for time reasons.  Despite this, I enjoyed this rapid run through classic Holmes stories, even if some of my fellow patrons mumbled on the way out that they had found it difficult to keep up with what was happening.

As per previous productions, the four actors not playing Holmes and Watson played multiple roles (eighteen between them), and it was nice to have Gavin Molloy reprising his role as Moriarty from ‘The Valley of Fear’  (his Lestrade was also a personal highlight). Special praise must also go to Caddick’s Mrs Hudson & Irene Adler.

Definitely worth catching if it comes to a theatre near you.   (Click here for tour dates)

Dramatic Score: 9/10

Rating:   (4½/5)