WESTPORT–Westport Country Playhouse will stage “A Sherlock Carol,” a family-friendly holiday mash-up of the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol.”

The show will run for eight performances, from Dec. 13 through Dec. 21.

The play blends the Holmes story “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with the oft-told Dickens tale. It takes place on Christmas Eve 1894 in London, when a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Holmes to investigate the death of Ebeneezer Scrooge. The result is intrigue and suspense, infused with holiday cheer and music.

This is the third consecutive year the Playhouse is presenting the show, which was written and directed by Mark Shanahan, the Westport County Playhouse’s artistic director.

“’A Sherlock Carol’ is a perfect show for young theatregoers and we hope it will invite them into a lifelong love affair with the theatre,” Shanahan said. “It aims to be a smart, sophisticated, and warm-hearted comedy to share with a child or grandchild.”

The play was nominated for a 2022 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play and selected as a “Critics’ Pick” by The New York Times. This holiday season, more than 30 productions of “A Sherlock Carol” are being staged around the world – in Australia, Canada, England and the U.S.

“At its heart, ‘A Sherlock Carol’ is a tale of the resurrection of the spirit, in which Sherlock Holmes, in a fit of despair, struggles his way back from a dark place,” Shanahan said. “He is guided by the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge, who charges Holmes with becoming his best self and living up to his famed talents as the world’s foremost consulting detective.”

The six actors in the show play multiple roles, “creating theatre magic with the flip of a hat or a quick costume change in the wings, entering and exiting as different characters in a matter of moments,” Shanahan said.

Single tickets start at $50 and are subject to change based upon availability. Student tickets are $20. For information on special offers, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes, visit www.westportplayhouse.org/visit/box-office.

During the run of “A Sherlock Carol,” the Playhouse will give back to the community, benefiting individuals and families served by Norwalk Toys for Tots and Homes with Hope. Donations may be dropped off in the collection boxes located in the Playhouse lobby during box office hours, Tues. through Fri., noon to 5 p.m.

A Sherlock Carol

• Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.
• Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.
• Dec. 17-19 at 7 p.m.
• Dec. 20 at 3 and 8 p.m.
• Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. 

Westport Country Playhouse
25 Powers Court
Westport
Box Office
(203) 227-4177