Holmes and Watson at The Rep

The hour is getting late and Watson is all alone at 221b Baker Street. He has not heard from Sherlock Holmes in six days. The two were on a case at the Gaiety Music Hall when Holmes vanished, leaving Watson confused and concerned. However, near the stroke of midnight, Holmes reappears through the window and he has quite a story to tell; actually, he has quite a story to sing. A lowly entertainer, Freddie Fish, is blackmailing the queen. He is in possession of an item that could implicate the Queen’s son, Bertie, in some illicit activities. The new home minister, Major Timsayer, had charged Holmes with returning the item, a mere cigarette case, but once he has it in his possession, he realizes that things aren’t as they appear.

How could Freddie Fish, a known illiterate, send a ransom note? A recent photograph of Bertie with his cigarette case is dropped at Holmes’ door, so who is the rightful owner the case at 221b Baker Street? And has anyone else heard of Major Timsayer? These are mysteries that Holmes and Watson intend to uncover. If Fish wasn’t the mastermind behind the blackmail, who was? And to what purpose? The duo is quick to discover that they are not outside participants in this conspiracy, but actually pawns being arranged and secured for a particular time and place by a familiar foe for an unspeakable objective.

This is one of Holmes and Watson’s most dangerous cases. They need to stay clear of mind, unless the occasion specifically calls for them not to be. Such is the case when the two are locked in their sitting room and inundated with poisonous gas which can only be filtered out with a hookah and a popular herb from the orient. This is all before being attacked by their nemesis and his henchmen. One can only imagine how their landlady, Mrs. Hudson, will feel when the body count starts to climb.

Abundant references to Conan Doyle’s literature coupled with a style that will have you rolling in the aisles makes HOLMES & WATSON A MUSICAL MYSTERY a rich and vastly entertaining addition to Holmes lore. The detectives must sing their way through the clues and hope they come to the conclusion on time, or their lives and the lives of the royal family could be at stake. The game is afoot! Now comes their finest hour!

HOLMES AND WATSON A MUSICAL MYSTERY will be playing at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater through January of 2010.