A Sherlock Carol

It is an extremely clever, witty and joyous idea to combine two of literatures curmudgeonly bachelors, namely Ebenezer Scrooge and Sherlock Holmes and create a Christmas story that mashes the two together in a murder mystery with ghostly goings on. Back at the Marylebone Theatre for a third year this stage play has much to recommend.

Writer and Director Mark Shanahan begins his play with the cries of ‘Moriarty is dead’ which immediately reveals to the audience that our main protagonist is going to be Holmes with echoes of Scrooge to come. Here is a torn man, without his archenemy, feels lost and lacking in purpose and proclaims ‘Blah’ to all he meets. Ben Caplan beautifully captures the downtrodden qualities of the famous detective. In his depression he turns away everyone in his life even his companion Dr Watson gets the cold shoulder.

Then a chance encounter with the grown-up Tim Cratchet begins to change things. Holmes discovers how the benevolence of Mr Scrooge changed both his and many others lives for the good, and it is following this that Holmes begins to see a shadowy figure and hear a voice. After meeting Emma Wiggins the daughter of Scrooge’s nephew he takes on his latest case to free the Nephew who has been wrongly accused of murdering Scrooge and to find out who really did kill him. Throw in a stolen blue carbuncle diamond that turns up in a rather large goose and a plethora of wonderful Dickens and Holmes characters and the scene is set for a plot with all the twists and turns you could possibly want.

There is only Caplan as Holmes and the delightful Kammy Darweish as Scrooge, (pivotal to proceeding in Act 2) who remain as those parts throughout. The other four exceptional actors. Rosie Armstrong, Louise Hoare, Richard James and Devesh Kishore play every other character with such dexterity and aplomb that each character is clearly defined and shines.

Shanhan has woven a wonderful tapestry of a story here which plays out cleverly on William Fricker’s stylish and moveable set. With a Victorian toy theatre quality that hints just enough to know each location. For all its wit and cleverness, and there are moments of sheer joy. taking everything combined, it never quite picks up the pace or scares enough in the ghostly moments to take it to the dramatic heights of A Christmas Carol.

However, with 221b Baker Street around the corner this festive production is a real treat and will ‘bless everyone’ in the coming weeks.

Four Stars