Twin Lakes Playhouse in Mountain Home is bringing a unique holiday production to the stage with “A Sherlock Carol,” opening Friday, Nov. 6. The play, which combines the worlds of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” will run through Nov. 22. Performances are scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at tlpmh.org or by calling the box office at 870-424-0444.
Written by Mark Shanahan, “A Sherlock Carol” premiered in New York in November 2021 at New World Stages and returned the following holiday season. The play also launched a London production last year. Available for licensing by other theaters only since 2022, the work remains a relatively new addition to the holiday season repertoire. Local director Anne Johnson said the play offers something distinctive for audiences accustomed to more traditional holiday fare.
“It’s something different besides just ‘A Christmas Carol’ or ‘A Christmas Story,’ the same old Christmas ones over and over again,” Johnson commented in a previous statement, noting the script’s elements of mystery.
The story picks up after Sherlock Holmes’ final confrontation with Professor Moriarty. A grown-up Tiny Tim, now Dr. Timothy Cratchit, seeks Holmes’ help unraveling a mystery: who killed Ebenezer Scrooge? On Christmas Eve, Holmes teams up with Scrooge’s ghost for a journey through his own past, present, and future, encountering figures from his legendary detective cases along the way.
Vance Jones takes on the role of Sherlock Holmes, a part that requires him to stay on stage for much of the performance. Mike Horberg reprises his role as Ebenezer Scrooge, having last appeared as Hercule Poirot in the Playhouse’s summer production of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” Josh Holley portrays Dr. Cratchit, while Adam Dye returns as Dr. Watson. Four narrators help transition between scenes, with the cast rounded out by 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, with Karen Maupin as musical director. The production’s sponsors include Jim Brown Company and Drs. Otis and Shelley Warr.
“A Sherlock Carol” concludes the Playhouse’s 2026 season, kicking off the holiday festivities for local theatergoers. According to Playhouse staff, tickets to past productions have sold out quickly, so early reservations are encouraged. For more details, visit the theater’s website or contact the box office directly.