Glenn Kluge and Tom Akers in A Sherlock Carol
It’s the classic Christmas tale. Set in Victorian London, the aging, cold-hearted protagonist is haunted by the ghost of a recently departed associate. The past, present, and future supernaturally collide, forcing the hero to realize the error of his ways and experience a dramatic change of heart. The hero is, of course … Sherlock Holmes!
Not who you were expecting? Welcome to author Mark Shanahan's A Sherlock Carol, currently playing on the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre stage. In director Joe DePauw's production, we meet a disillusioned Sherlock (Tom Akers), who is going through a crisis of confidence after the death of his archenemy Professor Moriarty. Meanwhile, an adult Tiny Tim (Jason Schaad) approaches the legendary detective to ask for help solving the murder of his benefactor Ebenezer Scrooge (Glenn Kluge). As the winter winds blow and the fog rolls in, prepare for a twist on two familiar tales, where the mind of Holmes meets the spirit of Christmas.
Kitty: I didn’t like this show as much as you did.
Mischa: I thought it was a fun mash-up of these two classic fictional worlds, and appreciated the cleverness with which they were combined. After all, not only are the two 19th-century English settings quite compatible, the play also represents the merging of two community-theatre staples: the murder mystery and the holiday show. Guaranteed audience-pleaser!
K: I mean, I do think that’s absolutely what Shanahan was going for when he wrote this. The show screams crowd-pleaser. There’s a cast full of classic characters and an abundance of popular lines from both A Christmas Carol and the Sherlock Holmes stories peppered throughout the dialogue. But for me, they didn’t really add up to something fresh. It was like watching a mash-up of two familiar tales with no real reason to exist beyond the novelty of the crossover. Maybe I’m a Scrooge, but I kept thinking, “Okay, so it’s A Christmas Carol starring Sherlock Holmes. But … why?”
M: And I’d respond that the novelty is reason enough! Sure, this is not going to dramatically change anyone’s worldview. But to my mind, it’s solid entertainment, not least because of all the familiar lines. And there was no harm done; after all, adapting one of those famed lines myself, Dickens and Doyle were dead, to begin with.
K: Well, the script may not have rattled my chain, so to speak. But the performance itself was more compelling, especially how the ensemble cast juggled multiple roles. It was entertaining to watch Jackie Skiles, for instance, slip from the suave Irene Adler to the bumbling, unsophisticated Martha Cratchit with such ease. It added a layer of unpredictability that helped keep things fresh. Really, I think the cast's ability to pull off these switches is the real draw.
M: That’s accurate. I especially enjoyed Samuel Carrington’s display of acting chops and skill with accents. First as the staid, formal Doctor Watson, then with spot-on characterizations, always distinct and precise, for Mrs. Dilber, Scrooge’s old housekeeper, Old Joe Brackenridge, the brusque odds-and-ends salesman, and Henry Burke, a long-time Irish associate of Scrooge.
K: There was a particular scene between Akers and Schaad that I quite enjoyed. In their first meeting, Sherlock assesses the as-yet-unidentified Tiny Tim using his trademark powers of observation. In characteristic Sherlock fashion, he rattles off a string of insights, slowly revealing Tim’s identity to the audience. Akers’s curt aloofness as Holmes juxtaposed perfectly with Schaad’s charming affability. It was a nice moment.
M: Scrooge was tougher to place. When he did come into the picture more actively, he was the reformed, jovial Scrooge. Instead, it was Holmes who was made to assume the harsher, “Scroogey” characteristics at the start as he began his moral transformation – and that part of the mash-up scenario seemed less convincing.
K: That’s true. Holmes is canonically blunt, but not exactly a squeezing, grasping, clutching, covetous old sinner. That character arc was a little forced – though, again, that’s more a script criticism. The direction, though, mitigated some of the script’s shortcomings. DePauw made some clever staging choices, like in the famous moment with the ghostly doorknocker: The actor playing the ghost simply became the door itself, swinging back to allow Sherlock entrance. And later, a perfectly timed sound cue turned a pantomimed doorway into what felt like a realistic, creaking, more than slightly ominous entrance. Kudos to sound designer Jennifer Kingry.
M: The director’s note mentions that set and props were kept to a minimum in accordance with the playwright’s wishes. DePauw's production did very effectively meet the challenge of depicting places and situations with only a bare stage and some movable furniture. The only permanent fixture was a garlanded lamppost at center stage with a flickering light, evoking the story’s setting nicely and also providing a bit of festive flair. There was some holiday-themed interlude music, too, but I wish the production had leaned into it more during one unfortunately halfhearted attempt at bringing the audience into the caroling spirit. Go big or go home, was my thought.
K: Yeah, it’s always a risky move to include singing elements in a non-musical show. The music certainly wasn’t the focus, but there was enough of it that I felt like maybe the actors should have rehearsed a little bit more. The singing felt somewhat tentative.
M: The cast was much more cohesive in a different collective action, because over the course of the show, various actors would frequently take part in providing backstory and transitional narration. This could have turned into simple, boring exposition, but the performers were well-coordinated and active on the stage during these interludes, keeping up the audience’s interest.
K: So if you’re looking for a feel-good, family-friendly show … .
M: Get on down to Geneseo, because … the game’s afoot! God bless us, everyone!
A Sherlock Carol runs at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo IL) through November 23, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 and visiting RHPlayers.com.
