The cast; Photo by Nile Hawer.

Presented by the Lyric Stage Boston
By Mark Shanahan
Directed by Ilyse Robbins

Nov. 14 – Dec. 21, 2025
140 Clarendon St
2nd floor
Boston, MA 02116
Online Playbill

Running Time: Two hours plus one 15-minute intermission.

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — A Sherlock Carol at Lyric Stage Boston is a Doyle and Dickens delight that mashes the beloved characters from both Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series in one gleeful package. This mashup is a needed departure from an overdone but beloved holiday tradition that will amuse Dickens fans, please Doyle fans, and introduce the children of both to classic literature in a new format. It runs through Dec. 21.

This summary from the Lyric Stage Boston website is lightly edited for comprehension, characters, and grammar: 

“Moriarity is as dead as a doornail. Sherlock Holmes (Paul Melendy with his articulate eyebrows) is depressed. Without his number one adversary, what’s the point of it all? When a grown-up Tiny Tim (Jon Vellante) asks Sherlock to investigate the death of everyone’s favorite humbug, Scrooge’s (Christopher Chew) death becomes a festive literary mash-up with surprises around every corner. This fresh and charming reimagining of two of the most beloved literary characters is a Dickens of a yuletide detective story that’s as good as gold. Six actors (Leigh Barrett, Mark Linehan, Michelle Moran, in addition to the aforementioned cast) transform before your eyes in a playful, clever, and joyous holiday comedy that is elementary for a festive outing sure to delight audiences of all ages.”

Playwright Shanahan asks his ensemble to play many characters (except for Sherlock and Scrooge). Director Robbins’ staging recalls her choreography work; The cast was rhythmically in sync as they delivered lines and rolled set pieces to their marks; some scene changes took on a dance-like flow. The actors breathed together and matched their walks. This physical unity added greater depth to their performances. They were so in the moment and their element that joy to be treading the boards was contagious. 

While not a musical, this production has folky singing. The cast sings classic carols, thanks to Music Supervisor Dan Rodriguez. Classical music, it is not, but the cast makes up for any flaws with their enthusiasm. An audience can expect to hear impassioned renditions of “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and “The 12 Days of Christmas” with Vellante on guitar.

Check out that eerie Scooby-Do-like lighting by Salotto-Cristobal. Photo by Nile Hawver.

Designers Erik D Diaz (scenic), SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal (lighting), and Alex Berg (sound) worked in tandem to create the world of A Sherlock Carol. Snow was projected onto the stage set to look like a Victorian London street while wind whistled in our ears. Fog gently rolled across the stage as blue and green lights shone down on the actors chewing the scenery. Their dialogue hit our ears evenly all the way in the back of the theater. 

Costume designer Sophia Baramidze’s mustache game was on point: stable, robust, fluffy. 

If all of this isn’t enough to convince an indecisive buyer, concessions sold mince pies before the show started and at intermission. London is very Christmas-y in November and December. Those little pies transported me back to 2007, a time when I was a grad student spending Thanksgiving weekend with new friends. My pie nostalgia was a welcome momentary diversion before the second act. 

If you enjoyed this article, please consider making a donation. Every cent earned goes towards the upkeep and continuation of the New England Theatre Geek.