Let me state at the outset that this is the finest Christmas-themed play I have ever seen. What could be better than a mashup of Sherlock Holmes and A Christmas Carol by Dickens? I admit, it could have been worse than Christmas leftovers, but this production is brilliant. I will say that ‘the goose is cooked to perfection,’ but you will have to see the play to make sense of that!
A Sherlock Carol premiered off-Broadway at New World Stages on November 21, 2021, under the direction of playwright Mark Shanahan. He is no stranger to adapting famous British novels to the stage. Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd premiered at the Alley Theatre in Houston on July 21, 2023. I look forward to seeing that produced in Austin!
Taking the lead role here is Brennan Patrick, an Austin-based theatre and film actor. Holmes has traditionally been played by a tall, slim actor, so I was dubious about a tall, bulky Holmes. How Patrick handled the brooding and disturbed Holmes (lately back in London from a near-fatal experience) soon allayed my misgivings. He projected the mind of Holmes, haunted by the death of his arch-nemesis Moriarty, with depth and empathy.
Haunted is the keyword of this play, as its other main character is none other than Ebenzer Scrooge, played by Huck Huckaby. In this play, Scrooge has died, but he makes several appearances. Huckaby delivers these ‘spirited’ appearances with panache, taking on the role of the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future with lines direct from A Christmas Carol. My lead photo gives a good idea of the atmospheric heights delivered in this production. Scenic designer Mike Toner did a great job here, together with lighting designer Mark Novick and sound designer Robert S. Fisher.
Key members of the cast are Bailey Ellis as an adult Tim Cratchit (the Tiny Tim who died as a child in Dickens’ novel) and Ben Wolfe at Dr. Watson. Seeing Ellis and Wolfe on stage together again is a very special treat, which I appreciated very much. They are a fantastic duo in any setting. The cast is completed by Vivian Noble (a not-so-shy love interest of Holmes) and Bernadette Nason as the typically clueless Inspector Lestrade. All four of these actors take on multiple roles during the play.
Set in London in 1894, we see Holmes reluctantly trying to solve the disappearance of a famous diamond AND the death of none other than Scrooge. Rattle your chains, and get to Austin Playhouse to see this. For any in the Bah! Humbug! slump this Christmas, it might just inspire you to change.
Photos: Steve Rogers Photography
A Sherlock Carol is at Austin Playhouse, 405 W. 22nd, Austin.
It will be showing thru Dec. 20
Tickets at www.austinplayhouse.com
Lead photo: Huckaby (l) as Scrooge and Brennan Patrick
Second photo: Ellis (l) and Patrick
Third photo: left to right: Ben Wolfe, Vivian Noble, Patrick, Ellis, Bernadette Nason
Fourth photo: Patrick with the deceased Scrooge and Wolfe (dressed as Scrooge’s housekeeper)