Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol

By Laureen F. Guenther Times Contributor

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol opens at Rosebud Theatre Nov. 2.
According to Peter Church who plays Dr. Watson, the play is a “delightful mash-up of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and a traditional Sherlock Holmes story. Sherlock is our humbug and Watson is fighting to preserve the spirit of Christmas.
“(Sherlock Holmes) slumps into a terrible, profound depression and loses some of his humanity in chemistry,” said Church. “Instead of criminology, trying to help people, he becomes coldly fascinated with the chemical. And it’s that that triggers his visit from the spirits.”
The first visit is from Professor Moriarty, “the person (Holmes) fought to the death with,” Church said. “It’s Moriarty saying, I’ve come back because you caused my death. I’ve come back as part of my chance for redemption, to herald your visitation from three spirits.”
Holmes goes on a journey looking at his past, his present and his future, and where he may end up, if he continues to reject the relationships in his life.
Sherlock Holmes is played by Nathan Schmidt, Moriarty by Travis Friesen, and Mrs. Hudson, Holmes’ loyal housekeeper, by Jeany Snider. Each of the other eight cast members, six of whom are Rosebud School of the Arts students, plays multiple roles.
“For Jeany and me, we play our characters across multiple, different eras as Sherlock travels through the past, present and future,” said Church. “It’s one of those really delightful challenges for an actor, being able to extrapolate. We generally have to extrapolate how the character got to that point in the play, but here we get to project into the future as well.”
This show brings delightful surprises, Church said, both to those who love A Christmas Carol and Sherlock Holmes, and to those who aren’t as familiar with those stories.
“Morris Ertman, directing, is so great at stripping away extraneous spectacle or information, and really focuses on the hearts and relationships of these characters… to make it a very personal story and to really get at the heart of what’s important.”
Ertman’s focus, Church said, is on “directing a story that, even if you’re not familiar with either of these stories, you can walk in and be fascinated with the inexplicable nature of love and relationships.
“Why would Mrs. Hudson or Watson stick around when (Sherlock) has such volatile mood swings and substance abuse, and he can make you feel so foolish because of his great intellect?”
That is the heart of the story, added Church, the real message of Christmas.
“Like the original Christmas story, this production is ultimately about love, grace and reconciliation. Sherlock starts the play by rejecting the love and grace offered to him by his community, but through his journey with the spirits on Christmas Eve, he learns the danger of isolation, pride and disdain for those who are (his) fellow travellers to the grave. The production powerfully demonstrates the importance of receiving love even when we may feel unworthy.”
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol plays until Dec. 23 in Rosebud’s Opera House. Get tickets and more information at 1-800-267-7553 or rosebudtheatre.com.