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Christmas Mysteries: A Sherlock Carol @MaryleboneTHLDN

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A mash-up of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes would seem an unlikely pairing. Yet it provides a surprisingly fun Christmas-themed adventure. These two Victorian tales (albeit separated by about 40 years) provide the basis for an inspired adventure at Christmastime that just also happens to turn out to be a murder mystery as well. With lavish costumes, a few spooky set pieces and some good old-fashioned stage trickery with lights and a lot of smoke machines, it is hard to resist. It returns to the Marylebone Theatre for Christmas after a run there last year.  The premise is that after Holmes sees off the criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, he is left adrift in London. People thought he was dead, and he might as well be. Disinterested in the misdeeds of other Londoners, Holmes has even given up on his friend Dr Watson. It's almost as if he has become a Scrooge. Or half a Scrooge, moping about shouting, "bah" in respon

Sneak previews and gospel singing: The Amen Corner

This week I was lucky enough to catch a rehearsal of the first act of The Amen Corner, which starts previewing at the National Theatre next week. Within forty five minutes it is fascinating to see even in rehearsal how all the elements of the story are laid out.

The play is set in Harlem in the 1950s and tells the story of a fiery pastor Sister Margaret whose estranged husband unexpectedly returns. Combined with the antics of her son her congregation is soon in revolt against her hard line leadership.


Written by James Baldwin, it was his first attempt at a play and covers the role of the church in African American families, along with how racial prejudice led to ingrained poverty amongst the communities. Jazz and gospel singing features throughout the piece and this will include members from the London Community Gospel Choir.

Even in rehearsal the cast and performances from both some new and familiar faces will be sure to enthral. After the rehearsal we were trying to work out when this play was staged in London. It possibly was staged in the 1970s at the Tricycle Theatre, but in a time of economic crisis and questions around hard line religion, it is perhaps time for the show to have its run in London.

One to discover and also part of the £12 Travelex season... Check the website for details of the run...

More details on the show are in the following...


Background to the photoshoot is below...

Photo credits: Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Sister Margaret Alexander) and Eric Kofi Abrefa (her son, David). Photo by Richard Hubert Smith.

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