Twin Lakes Playhouse will wrap up its 2026 season with *A Sherlock Carol*, a holiday mystery that imagines Sherlock Holmes investigating the death of Ebenezer Scrooge. The play opens Nov. 6 and runs through Nov. 22 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at tlpmh.org or by calling 870-424-0444.
Directed by Anne Johnson, the show blends elements of Charles Dickens’ *A Christmas Carol* and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series. “It’s a newer script,” Johnson said. “It’s something different besides just ‘A Christmas Carol’ or ‘A Christmas Story.’ This adds a little more mystery to it.”
The play, written by New York playwright and director Mark Shanahan, first premiered off-Broadway in 2021. It has since been performed in London and in theaters across the U.S. The story is set years after the events of *A Christmas Carol*, with Scrooge having lived a long, generous life. The mystery begins when a grown-up Tiny Tim, now Dr. Cratchit, asks Holmes to investigate Scrooge’s suspicious death. Holmes, still grieving the loss of his nemesis Moriarty, reluctantly agrees and encounters Scrooge as a ghost. The detective is guided through the past, present, and future in a series of events reminiscent of Scrooge’s own supernatural journey.
Vance Jones stars as Sherlock Holmes, a demanding role that keeps him on stage for most of the performance. “He has a billion lines to learn,” said Johnson. “He’s hardly ever off stage.” Mike Horberg portrays Scrooge, while Josh Holley fills the role of Dr. Cratchit. Johnson noted a unique casting process for Cratchit, which involved recasting mid-rehearsal after changes in availability. “Josh hasn’t been on stage a lot, but he’s doing really well,” she said.
The ensemble features Adam Dye as Dr. Watson and other performers including FE Quiles, Jenny Horberg, Kyria Johnson, Nancy Leone, Andrea McInnis, Patty Kotlicky, Robert Manning, Olivia Potter, Willow Gage, and Luke Ramsey. Laura Chandler serves as assistant director, and Karen Maupin is the musical director.
The production presents challenges with frequent scene changes, from London streets to a cemetery and the interior of Scrooge’s home. Johnson said the set includes rotating panels reused from the summer production of *Murder on the Orient Express*. Props and furnishings, including Holmes’ sitting room decor, were sourced from local yard sales to fit the Victorian aesthetic.
The play is sponsored by Jim Brown Company, with additional support from Dr. Otis Warr and Dr. Shelley Warr. Johnson credited her personal connection with the Warrs for their renewed involvement in the Playhouse, recalling a conversation in Dr. Warr’s office that inspired his return as a sponsor.
Johnson believes the play’s pre-Thanksgiving conclusion will be well-timed for holiday audiences. “After your Thanksgiving dinner, what are you going to do? This year, the answer is a murder mystery with ghosts,” she said.