Marylebone Theare – until 7th January 2024
Reviewed by Ben Jolly
3***
Opening at Marylebone Theatre last night was the return visit of Mark Shanahan’s A Sherlock Carol. Shanahan takes two of Victorian London’s most iconic fictional characters and brings them together to play in the same universe; it is a continuation of the Dickens tale culminating with Holmes himself reluctantly tangled up in a plot with the only temptation to pull him out of his recent depression… murder!
Set several years after “The Final Problem” – Holmes’ final altercation with arch enemy Moriarty, Holmes is feeling jaded, older, and more susceptible to the woes of everyday life. He has become a recluse, and his long-term isolation has birthed paranoia, convincing himself that he’s being spiritually followed by the deceased former foe.
That is, until a visit from a fully grown and matured Tiny-Tim (he is now known as Dr Robert Cratchit, thank you very much) who has sought out the legendary detective to solve the murder of his former benefactor and much-loved family friend, Mr Ebenezer Scrooge! The game is afoot!
Combining worlds, especially ones that hold such high renown is no mean feat and Shanahan is clearly fluent in both. His plot, although thin and at times a little drawn out is full of jovial references and his cleverly thought-out dialogue is evident throughout. Shanahan is without doubt a fan of both Holmes and Scrooge, and fundamentally this is what makes the piece as heart-warming as it is. His characters remain truthful, and it is from this firm root that this love letter of a play can be appreciated.
The cast of six have no easy task with the task of piling character on top of character without having so much as a breath in between. Yet still, each has their own distinguishable characteristics, vocally and physically which can be credited by both performer and writer. There is no weak link here, and the team of players work like a well-oiled machine to keep the comedic pace flowing. There are times when the dialogue and story flutter between drama and comedy but this play lands firmly when the laughs are rolling in, it would of course work with much more gusto if it leaned more into a specific genre instead of toeing the line of both.
As a production, it is visually highly polished and wonderfully executed thanks to set design by Anna Louizos and lighting by Rui Rita. The direction by playwright Mark Shanahan is clear, concise and bleeds of nostalgia for the genre, which is most clear through the expertly executed use of character dialogue. The play merely needs a clearer construct and bolder decision regarding genre for it to really land. Perhaps this world is too small for these two formidable characters; can they, should they co-exist? After all, there’s a reason why Agatha Christie never put Poirot and Marple on the same case! Ultimately, it is for the audiences to decide and the fanboy of Holmes and Scrooge in me is delighted to see these two together.