Magnifying Theatrical Mysteries: Plays and Musicals Featuring Sherlock Holmes

From the classic original stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to creative adaptations intended for audiences of all ages, these picks from Concord Theatricals highlight all the thrills of great mystery theatre. Take a look below for a variety of plays and musicals featuring – or inspired by – that one-of-a-kind fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

Standard Escapades with Sherlock and Watson

Baker Street by Jerome Coopersmith, Marian Grudeff and Raymond Jessel (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 4m)
In this musical mystery, Sherlock Holmes explores turn-of-the-century London as he delves into a dangerous and colorful case involving murder, jewel theft, deception, explosives and show business. Baker Street opened on Broadway in a 1965 production directed by Harold Prince, starring Fritz Weaver as Sherlock Holmes and Inga Swenson in a Tony-nominated turn as Irene Adler.

Holmes and Watson: The Game’s Afoot adapted by Jon Jory (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 4m)
When desperate people come to 221B Baker Street in search of aid, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are always there to help. But this quartet of conundrums will put even Holmes’ deductive genius and Watson’s stout heart to the test. The remarkable duo must match wits with a dastardly blackmailer, recover a coronet of priceless gems, trace a vanished bride, and solve a murder so strange that Watson considers it the most singular of all their cases. Based on four classic short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes and Watson: The Game’s Afoot is both a gripping mystery and a celebration of enduring friendship.

Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Tim Kelly (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 5w, 5m)
Holmes’ most spine-chilling mystery is placed in a modern setting in this version – with suspense, humor and terror. Sir Henry is heir to the vast Baskerville fortune, a legacy that comes with a family curse: death at the fangs of a horror that prowls the moor. Only Holmes can stop the beast. While mysterious lights signal Baskerville Hall and the hound terrifies the countryside, the sleuthing begins and suspicion falls on sinister servants, butterfly collectors, ladies in distress, and escaped convicts. Who wrote the letter that summoned the hound? Is Sir Henry’s romance with the lovely Kathy doomed? Is the supernatural at work?

Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery by Ken Ludwig (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 1w, 4m)
From the award-winning mastermind of mayhem Ken Ludwig comes a fast-paced comedy about everyone’s favorite detective solving his most notorious case. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery received its world premiere as a co-production between Arena Stage in Washington, DC, and the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey in 2015, under the direction of Amanda Dehnert.

Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty by Ken Ludwig (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are back on the case. An investigation into the Bohemian king’s stolen letters cascades into an international mystery filled with spies, blackmail and intrigue. With world peace at stake, Holmes and Watson join forces with American actress Irene Adler to take down cunning criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty and his network of devious henchmen. Five actors play over 40 roles in this adventure that has danger – and laughter! – around every corner. First titled Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure, the play premiered at the Cleveland Play House on April 29, 2023. Directed by Mark Brokaw and Michael Barakiva, the cast included Jeffrey M. Bender, Talley Gale, Nick Gaswirth, Olivia Gilliatt and Christian Pedersen.

Murder in Baker Street by Judd Woldin (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 6m)
A quiet evening at 221B is disrupted by Cecil Forrester, a harried industrialist seeking protection from assailants. Sherlock Holmes is not interested in such mundane matters, until he recognizes the method of attack: an “Oriental Death Touch.” He shelters his new client in a locked and bolted room and explores the roof with Dr. Watson, where they are suddenly attacked by a ninja. In the morning, Forrester is discovered murdered. An aggressive prosecutor uncovers a connection between the victim and Dr. Watson, and he hypothesizes a method by which Watson could have committed the crime within the locked room. Watson is convicted and condemned. To save his friend, Holmes confesses and, from a cell in Pentonville Prison, the legendary detective solves the baffling murder.

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Gillette (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 17m)
Incriminating letters written by a young European prince to the English girl he betrayed are in the hands of the dead girl’s sister. She is in the clutches of a nefarious man. All this and Moriarty and Dr. Watson too. Sherlock Holmes was first presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company in a London production directed by Frank Dunlop.

Sherlock Holmes and the Curse of the Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dennis Rosa (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 5-8m, 1 boy)
Sherlock Holmes fans everywhere will be familiar with this classic tale of stolen treasure and murder, in which Holmes and Watson (aided after a fashion by the bumbling Inspector Lestrade) are pitted for the first time against the diabolic Professor Moriarty. At stake are the safety and fortune of the lovely Mary Morstan, whose late father has intended her to share in the riches of the long-lost Agra Treasure. Taut and fast-moving, the play cleverly blends thrills and laughs as it deftly recreates “the romantic-melodramatic style of the period in which it takes place” and is highly recommended for groups in every category.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes adapted by Jon Jory (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 4m)
The legendary friendship of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson faces a quartet of the most confounding crimes to ever cross the threshold of 221B Baker Street. Discover the truth about the surprising secret within an abandoned Christmas goose, the meaning of a coded message from an organization obsessed with the past, the danger that sends a family playing cards to madness, and the web of conspiracy surrounding a governess in an isolated country house. Based on four classic short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a thrilling reminder of why Sherlock Holmes remains eternal.

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and F. Andrew Leslie (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 6m)
Perhaps the most famous and popular of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, this gripping tale deals with the curse of the Baskerville family and the fiendish killer-hound stalking its members. This is a taut, easy-to-stage version of the classic thriller widely regarded as the greatest of Holmes’ adventures.

New Adventures with the Original Characters

Sherlock’s Last Case by Charles Marowitz (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 5m)
Picking up where the famous stories ended, Sherlock Holmes receives a death threat from the supposed son of his late nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Oddly enough, Holmes is warned of the plot by Moriarty’s daughter, to whom our titular ladies’ man is strongly attracted. The story reveals deception, impostors and reversals with both humor and suspense, leading to a stunning final twist that will surely catch audiences by complete and breath-stopping surprise. Illuminating aspects to the master sleuth’s character heretofore ignored, this diabolically clever play is both true to the spirit of the original and a total fresh and absorbing theatrical excursion.

Sherlock’s Secret Life by Will Severin and Ed Lange (US)
(Full-Length Play with Music, Comedy / 3w, 5m)
This original play with musical underscoring about the world’s most famous detective during his youthful years of collaboration with Dr. Watson is firmly grounded in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters. It is a fascinating mystery, an enchanting romance and a wonderful comedy. Winner of the Audio Publishers Association’s National Audie Award for its dramatic presentation as an audio book, the play was originally produced by the New York State Theatre Institute.

Sherlock’s Veiled Secret by K.C. Brown and Arne Zaslove (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 4w, 3m)
What secret could be so dark, so deadly, as to rouse the indomitable Sherlock Holmes from his peaceful retirement as a beekeeper in Sussex? A secret leading to blackmail and murder, which brings Holmes and the young sculptress Violet Sheridan together. The conclusion of the mysteries finds Holmes the super-hero forced to confront Holmes the flawed, mortal man, and his dynamic young apprentice is thrust into a situation in which she discovers her true self as she rescues her lost parents from danger. A great option for all the mystery of the originals with more roles for women.

Sherlock Holmes and a Near Case of Murder by Robert Mauro (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 4w, 4m)
It’s unlikely, but seems to be true. The Dragon Lady and Professor Moriarty are producing a melodrama, and Holmes and Watson are invited to audition. Little do they know – though they ought to suspect! – that the climax of this funny takeoff will be their dual demise. But all is saved in a surprise twist by Mrs. Hudson and Inspector Lastrade.

Sherlock Holmes and the Curious Adventure of the Clockwork Prince by Cleve Haubold and James Hitt (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 6m)
This Sherlock Holmes adventure in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan brings the great detective and Dr. Watson up against the evil wiles of that master of disguise, Sir Sullivan Sinister. The world of New Year’s Eve 1899 in London is a sparkling background against which Holmes wrestles with the puzzle of the Clockwork Prince, a brass key held for ransom, a stolen formula and a curiously missing cook who is nowhere and everywhere at once. Holmes makes the most of his gifts of deduction and disguise in a riotous race against the stroke of midnight, with fatal results.

Sherlock Holmes and the Red Headed League by John Clay, Rick Cummins and Greer Woodward (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 1w, 4m)
This delightful adaptation of the well-known Conan Doyle story for young audiences can be enjoyed by one and all. In it, a young man who wants to be a detective and his friend who wants to be a doctor but who has an interest in crime solving investigate a murder and theft. The musical was first presented by Theaterworks USA in February 1986 under the direction of Charles Hull.

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure by Steven Dietz, based on the original play by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Gillette (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 6m)
The world’s greatest detective has seemingly reached the end of his remarkable career when a case presents itself that is too tempting to ignore: The King of Bohemia is about to be blackmailed by a notorious photograph, and the woman at the heart of this crime is the famous opera singer Irene Adler. In this spirited, fast-moving and thoroughly theatrical adaptation, Steven Dietz presents Holmes at the height of his powers, surrounded by all the elements that fans of his exploits have come to expect: danger, intrigue, wit, humor and surprise.

The Crucifer of Blood by Paul Giovanni (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 1w, 11m)
The Crucifer of Blood is an ingenious pastiche of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, primarily The Sign of Four. Taking place in 1887, The Crucifer of Blood deals with the Agra Treasure stolen 30 years before by two English officers who are finally overtaken by the curse that has bedeviled them with foul horrors. The action moves from India to Baker Street to spooky Pondicherry Lodge in Maidenhead to a Limehouse opium den to a boat chase on the Thames and finally back to Baker Street for a surprise denouement. The Crucifer of Blood was first presented at the Buffalo Studio Area Theatre.

The Final Toast by Stuart Kaminsky (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 2w, 6m, 1boy)
Edgar Prize-winning author Kaminsky tells the tale of one of literature’s most famous detectives: Sherlock Holmes. In a witty, imaginative story filled with twists and unexpected surprises, Detective Holmes unravels a murder only to find himself the unwilling target of the killer-at-large. The Final Toast had its world premiere at the 2008 International Mystery Writers’ Festival.

The Last of Sherlock Holmes by Tim Kelly (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 3w, 3m)
This farce pits Holmes and Watson against their greatest foe, the evil and sinister Professor Moriarty. Soon after capturing what they think is Moriarty, he escapes. Laughs come fast and furious as the audience views a typical day in the life of the master detective who has just discovered the science of fingerprinting. Now it’s up to Holmes to prove, via fingerprints, the criminal’s true identity.

The Mask of Moriarty by Hugh Leonard (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 12m)
In this affectionate spoof of the exploits of Sherlock Holmes, the Tony Award-winning author of Da farcically piles complications on hilarious exaggerations to steep his tale in comic enjoyment. The renowned detective and his ever-present cohort Dr. Watson are enlisted to prove the innocence of a young man accused of murder on the Waterloo Bridge. The trail of clues and red herrings leads the trusty sleuths to none other than Holmes’ arch rival, Professor James Moriarty.

The Penultimate Problem of Sherlock Holmes by John Nassivera (US)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 3w, 6m)
This play about the famous detective has Holmes venturing into the occult where, during a séance, he is warned that he is about to meet his maker. The play has Holmes, Watson and Professor Moriarty meet their maker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wishes to end their existence literally with the final stroke of his pen. Holmes cannot accept the fact that he is the product of another’s imagination, a mere pawn of another man’s genius. Who is the creator and who the pawn becomes the central question as Holmes and the others threaten their creator with the death to which he has sentenced them. The Penultimate Problem of Sherlock Holmes was first presented by the Dorset Theatre Festival in Dorset, Vermont, on August 17th, 1978, directed by Jill Charles.

The Revenge of Sherlock Holmes by Leslie Bricusse (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 11m)
In this exciting original musical based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters, Holmes and his perennial arch-enemy, Professor Moriarty, face off in a series of cat-and-mouse games. The musical was first produced at the Bristol Old Vic in 1993, starring Robert Powell as Sherlock Holmes and Roy Barraclough as Dr. Watson, before embarking on a national tour. (It was formerly known as Sherlock Holmes: The Musical.)

In the Lineage: New Detectives Inspired by Sherlock Holmes

A Prince There Was by George M. Cohan and Darragh Aldrich (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 7m)
The story of a rich man who, bored with life, goes to see the seamy side in a cheap boarding house, where he finds love and happiness. The sentiment is constantly offset by shrewd satire and comedy, the best of which is given to the young pair of amateur detectives, both of whom live in Mrs. Prouty’s house. Shorty is a movie “stipe” who hopes someday to play Sherlock Holmes. But Gladys, the landlady’s daughter, has her own idea of scenting suspicion. When the mysterious “Mr. Prince” comes to board with the Proutys, Shorty and Gladys find adventure in their avocation.

Hidden Meanings by Michael Snelgrove (US/UK)
(Short Play, Comedy / 5w, 4m)
Rodney and George are to provide a dramatic interlude at the Sherlock Holmes Society’s annual congress. Events turn truly dramatic when George discovers the body of Rodney’s financial director, dressed as Moriarty, in Rodney’s cupboard. Proudly acknowledging he’s the murderer, Rodney is piqued when others make the same claim. All are thwarted when the body staggers from the cupboard and passes a suicide note to inspector Jobling – all to the accompaniment of The Pirates of Penzance.

If Sherlock Holmes Were a Woman by Tim Kelly (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 7w)
Shirley Holmes is named after the famous sleuth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fame. She is a fanatic on mystery and crime. Her big chance finally comes when the housemother in her dorm is found dead under peculiar circumstances. Shirley, determined to solve the crime, locks all the girls in the communal study. Shirley’s sleuthing is hilarious and causes something of a scandal as she unravels the laugh-provoking “heinous crime.”

Jack the Ripper: Monster of Whitechapel by Joe Dickinson (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 8w, 6m)
A comical but scary treatment of the serial killer who terrorized London in the 1800s. Many of the characters and events are taken right from history, but others are pure comic invention, such as Pegeen Macdougal, a practitioner of white magic, and her “familiar,” Hogarth, who speaks only in cookbook terms. All of the roles are amusingly drawn, from the frustrated physician, Dr. Forbes Winslow, already henpecked by his fiancée, suffragist Ernestine Pankhurst, to manservant Phillip Poole, who is bound and determined to solve the murders in the style of his hero, Sherlock Holmes. There are several murders, but these are given a wickedly humorous touch by the victims themselves. Jack the Ripper: Monster of Whitechapel was first performed on March 28, 1986, at the Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Dallas, Texas, directed by Rodney Dobbs.

Ken Ludwig’s Postmortem by Ken Ludwig (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 4m)
This play introduces eccentric actor William Gillette, world renowned for his 30-year portrayal of Sherlock Homes, as he tries to solve a mystery at his Connecticut mansion, a magnificent medieval castle. Postmortem was first presented at the American Stage Festival in Milford, New Hampshire in July 1983. Author Ken Ludwig later reworked this play into The Game’s Afoot.

Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot by Ken Ludwig (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m)
It is December 1936, and Broadway star William Gillette, admired the world over for his leading role in the play Sherlock Holmes, has invited his fellow cast members to his Connecticut castle for a weekend of revelry. But when one of the guests is stabbed to death, the festivities in this isolated house of tricks and mirrors quickly turn dangerous. It is then up to Gillette himself, as he assumes the persona of his beloved Holmes, to track down the killer before the next victim appears. The danger and hilarity are non-stop in this glittering whodunit set during the Christmas holidays.

The Emperor’s Clothes by George Tabori (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 12m)
In Budapest in 1930 live a father and mother and a young son. The father was dismissed from his teaching post some years ago because of his outspoken liberal views. In a growing totalitarian state, he is blacklisted, and he makes a bare living by proofreading trashy writing. He is so poor that he cannot afford a tree for Christmas. The imaginative youngster, who is a fan of Hoot Gibson and Sherlock Holmes and who worships his father, figures he can raise money for a tree by charging dues to join a new secret society that he has invented. The boy gets the tree, but the police hear of the society and come to arrest the father as the brains. Anxious about what little self-respect he has left, the father compromises himself, not realizing he is destroying the idealism of his worshipful son. But in the end he is firm, suffering terrible inquisitions and redeeming himself as a hero in the eyes of his boy.

The Mystery of Mouldy Manor by Ted Westgate (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 5w, 4m)
In musty Mouldy Manor, the blue blood of the Wedgewoods is rapidly running thin. In fact, it’s unlikely that any of the tribe will be alive by sunrise. Nick Sherlock, a private eye, gets a frantic call from lovely Jennifer, who is being held prisoner by the fiendish Dr. Carver because she is the potential heir to a fabulous ruby. In Sherlock’s bumbling efforts to save the girl, he narrowly escapes death beneath the winking eyes of Grandfather Wedgewood’s portrait.

The Mystery of the Silver-Backed Hairbrush by Burton Crane (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 3w, 5m, 1 any gender)
When J. Grewsome-Smith, a wealthy bachelor, is murdered at the curtain’s open, it’s up to the great Chesterton and his trusty sidekick, Dobson, to solve the crime. This delightful comedic mystery is easily staged and sure to earn a laugh. Fans of Sherlock Holmes will especially appreciate the star detective’s deductive methods. The Mystery of the Silver-Backed Hairbrush was first presented by the Tokyo Women’s Club in the auditorium of the YWCA in Tokyo, Japan, directed by Burton Crane.

Creative Crossovers: Holmes + Others

Alexandria Municipal Reading Library by Saragail Katzman (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 2w, 3m)
What do you do when you’re a kid and your family moves to a town with no library? That’s the bleak prospect facing George, who relocates from Chicago to Alexandria, Nebraska. George loves to read, adores books and their heroes, but Alexandria has no library. It’s up to him to start one! His friends from his books – Sherlock Holmes, d’Artagnan and Lassie – urge him on, and George carries through with his dream, winning new friends along the way. Alexandria Municipal Reading Library is a terrifically fun, whimsical show with a message that never intrudes on the sheer delight of the story.

Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club by Jeffrey Hatcher (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 7m)
Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher takes Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous characters and drops them into a story inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Suicide Club to create a thrilling comic mystery. In the heart of London, behind the impassive facade of a windowless house, some of Europe’s most powerful men gather to play a game. The game is murder, and this is The Suicide Club. But the club has a new member, Sherlock Holmes. A new stage thriller featuring the famed sleuth in a tale full of mystery, romance, twists and chills. For more Holmesian adventures by Hatcher, consider Holmes and Watson (US/UK) and Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders (US/UK).

Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem by R. Hamilton Wright (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 3w, 6m)
In this new Sherlock Holmes adventure, the brilliant detective takes on a case as Annie Oakley’s traveling show comes to London and earthquakes and murders are on the rise. During Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in London, 1887, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West is the hottest ticket in town, and its star, Miss Annie Oakley, travels to Baker Street to ask Sherlock Holmes to find her missing brother. What ensues is a tale of international intrigue, multiple murders and a war for supremacy over the London underworld. Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem debuted at Seattle Rep in April of 2016.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily by Katie Forgette (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 2w, 5m)
The wit of Oscar Wilde meets the cunning of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle when Wilde brings his dear friend, Lillie Langtry, to Baker Street. Someone has stolen the highly intimate letters Lillie exchanged with the Prince of Wales, and now she is being blackmailed. Only Holmes can solve the case, going so far as to disguise himself as an early version of Lady Bracknell from Wilde’s latest play, The Importance of Being Forthright, while Watson falls head-over-heels for the Jersey Lily and a wicked professor attempts to bring the Crown to its knees.

Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra by Tim Kelly and Jack Sharkey (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 8w, 7m)
There was only one Sherlock Holmes story that Dr. Watson never wrote down – “The Giant Rat of Sumatra” – and the explanation of why it was never captured on paper is the plot of this engaging Victorian spoof, a mirthful Sherlock Holmes adventure involving a heavily veiled damsel, Mata Hari, Jack the Ripper, Queen Victoria, the beautiful Lady Fitzroy, Mrs. Hudson, Inspector Lestrade and, of course, the evil Professor Moriarty. Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra premiered at the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama & Vaudeville Theatre in Moorpark, California in December 1986. For other works with creative combination by the same author, take a look at The Adventure of the Clouded Crystal (US) or Who Walks in the Dark (US).

Sherlock Holmes and the West End Horror by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Anthony Dodge and Nicholas Meyer (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 7 any gender)
A despicable theatre critic has been murdered, and Holmes and Watson are soon visited by George Bernard Shaw, an aspiring Irish playwright who entices Holmes to take the case. As they cross swords with the most famous literary luminaries of the day – Oscar Wilde, Gilbert & Sullivan, Henry Irving, Bram Stoker and a young H.G. Wells, Holmes and Watson come face to face with their own celebrity as they pursue the killer in this rollickingly funny whodunit.

The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence by Madeleine George (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Drama / 1w, 2m)
Four versions of Watson – Holmes’ sidekick, telephone engineer, Jeopardy! super-computer and amiable techno-dweeb – become one in this brilliantly witty, time-jumping, loving tribute (and cautionary tale) dedicated to the people – and machines – upon which we all depend. The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence premiered off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons on November 15, 2013. Directed by Leigh Silverman, the cast featured John Ellison Conlee, David Costabile and Amanda Quaid.

The Frankenstein Monster Show by John Crocker, Tim Hampton, Ken Bolam and Les Scott (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 11m)
This inventive and exuberant play with music brings the Frankenstein story up to date – into the computer age, in fact. When Frank Enstein arrives at Enstein Hall from the USA, he continues the experiments of his deceased great-great uncle. Frank’s expertise in computer robotics and the timely arrival of two rather suspicious undertakers soon have remote-controlled monsters rolling off the production line. Demand soon outstrips supply, and it is then that Frank’s scheme takes an even more sinister turn as he sets up “The Dungeon of Death” to obtain “voluntary” corpses. His plans are foiled by Dr. Ruby Watson and John B. Good, the family solicitor, with a little help from Sherlock Holmes, Junior. Unfortunately, this involves most of the cast – goodies as well as baddies – being killed off, but with the help of Frank’s machine, all are reanimated in time for a rousing final chorus of Humanoid Boogie.

The Literati Awards: Honoring Literature’s Greatest Characters by Claire Epstein and Ian McWethy (US/UK)
(Short Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m, 3 any gender)
Tonight the brightest stars of classic literature are coming together for the biggest awards show of the year – so of course they’re all on their absolute worst behavior. Romeo’s jealous that Juliet got nominated, Sherlock Holmes keeps trying to deduce the results from the accountants, and it’s all security can do to keep Gollum away from his precious trophy. Everyone’s walking the red carpet, from Elizabeth Bennet to Holden Caulfield, but only one can walk away with the big award for The Greatest Literary Character of All Time. Who will it be? With five possible endings, only the audience vote can decide! The classics get a showbiz twist in this wickedly funny comedy.

Sherlock with a Holiday Twist

A Holmes Family Christmas by Judy GeBauer (US/UK)
(Short Play, Comedy / 1w, 2m)
Christmas Eve finds Sherlock Holmes dressed as Santa Claus. Is this for a new case, or just the spirit of the season? Watson isn’t sure what to make of this costume or of the mysterious woman who calls on them… a new client, or something more sinister? All the faithful doctor knows is that he once knew her. A comedic suspenseful short for your holiday season.

A Sherlock Carol by Mark Shanahan (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 2w, 4m)
In this new off-Broadway hit, Moriarty is dead, and Sherlock Holmes is a haunted man. When a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Holmes to investigate the death of Ebenezer Scrooge, the Great Detective must use his gifts to solve a Dickens of a Christmas mystery! Six actors take on the beloved characters of Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens in this heartwarming and highly theatrical holiday treat for all ages.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol by John Longenbaugh (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w, 16m)
In this ingenious meeting of two Victorian classics, Dr. Watson visits his old friend Sherlock Holmes on Christmas Eve, finding him in a dark and misanthropic mood, planning to retire from the dull work of solving crimes. But soon, Holmes is visited by the ghost of his great enemy Professor Moriarity, who warns Holmes that he is heading towards his own damnation and tells him of an upcoming visit by three spirits. The visits that follow explore Holmes’ childhood and his lost love, the chaos that his early retirement caused his friends and associates in London, and finally, a terrifying future. Great for a dose of mystery for the holidays!

For more great plays and musicals, visit Concord Theatricals in the US or UK.