Playwright and director Mark Shanahan combines two classic tales into one holiday-themed mystery for all ages. Back for third year by popular demand.
Westport Country Playhouse will stage “A Sherlock Carol,” a family-friendly holiday production based on two classic tales, “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle,” a classic Sherlock Holmes story,and “A Christmas Carol,” for eight performances, from Saturday, December 13 through Sunday, December 21. The inventive plot of intrigue and suspense, infused with holiday cheer and music, features familiar characters from the literature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens. The play returns to the Playhouse by popular demand for the third consecutive year.
Nominated for a 2022 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Play and selected as a “Critics’ Pick” by The New York Times, the play is written and directed by Mark Shanahan, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director. This holiday season, there are over 30 productions of “A Sherlock Carol” happening around the world, in Australia, Canada, England, and the U.S.
“’A Sherlock Carol’ turns the tables on Dickens and Doyle’s characters, revisiting them in ways audiences have not seen before,” said Shanahan. “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. 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 play is set in 1894 London on Christmas Eve as a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate the peculiar death of Ebenezer Scrooge.
“’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,” stated Shanahan. “It aims to be a smart, sophisticated, and warm-hearted comedy to share with a child or grandchild.
“Our six actors 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 added.
Cast members are James Taylor Odom as Sherlock Holmes (National Tours: “Clue,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder,” “The Sound of Music”; Regional: “An Old-Fashioned Family Murder,” “The Rainmaker,” “The 39 Steps,” “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure,” “A Christmas Carol,” “It Came from Outer Space,” “Grumpy Old Men,” “God of Carnage”; BA in Theatre, Brenau University; MFA in Acting, University of Arkansas); Byron St. Cyr as Ebenezer Scrooge (theatre artist, writer, musician; Off-Broadway: “A Sherlock Carol”; Regional: “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” “Dames at Sea,” “Billy Elliot”; National Tours: “Miss Saigon,” “My Fair Lady”; byronstcyr.com or @bscjr).
Joe Delafield as Dr. Watson and others (Westport Country Playhouse: “A Sherlock Carol,” “The 39 Steps,” “The School for Husbands,” Radio Theater’s “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” Script in Hand playreadings of “Christmas at Pemberley,” “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” and serves as artistic associate; Broadway: “Tartuffe”; Off-Broadway: “Fashions for Men,” “Outward Bound”; Television: “The Sopranos”; MFA from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program); Dan Domingues as Dr. Timothy Cratchit and others (Westport Country Playhouse: Production and virtual playreading of “A Sherlock Carol”; Off-Broadway: “The Tempest,” “Fidelis”; Film: “Run All Night”; MFA: A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard; creator and co-host of “Hot Date,” a podcast for movie fans); Alexandra Kopko as The Countess of Morcar and others (Off-Broadway: “A Sherlock Carol”; Regional: “Peter and the Starcatcher,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Full Monty”; she is one half of the comedic podcast “The Film Bros,” streaming on all major platforms; comedy videos on Instagram and TikTok; @alexandrawideeyes); and Anissa Felix as Emma Wiggins and others (Westport Country Playhouse: Assistant director of “A Sherlock Carol” and “Theatre People,” director for the Script in Hand playreading of “Paris”; Broadway: “Motown: The Musical,” “The Donna Summer Musical”; Netflix: “Survival of the Thickest”).
Playwright and director is Mark Shanahan, Playhouse artistic director and Script in Hand curator. In 2024, he directed “The 39 Steps,” the Playhouse’s inaugural production for the 2024-25 season, as well as the Playhouse’s holiday offering, “A Sherlock Carol,” and “Theatre People” last spring. He also directed his own adaptation of “Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd,” in partnership with Agatha Christie Ltd., which premiered at the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre. He is the author of “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” “See Monsters of the Deep,” the Off-Broadway and regional hit comedy “The Dingdong,” as well as numerous radio plays as creator of the White Heron Ghost Light series, featuring Christopher Plummer, Judith Ivey, Rhonda Ross, and other notables. Shanahan has directed at stages around the country such as Alley Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Virginia Stage, Arkansas Rep, White Heron, Mile Square Theatre, Hudson Stage, Theatre Squared, Fulton Opera House, Weston Playhouse, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Florida Rep, Penguin Rep, Merrimack Rep, The Cape Playhouse, and many more. As an actor, Shanahan has appeared on and Off-Broadway (“The 39 Steps,” “Tryst,” “The Shaugraun,” and others) and at many celebrated regional theatres. Shanahan has appeared on the Westport Country Playhouse stage in “Journey’s End” (2005), “David Copperfield,” directed by Joanne Woodward and Annie Keefe, (2005), “Sedition” (2007), “Tryst” (2008), and “Around the World in 80 Days” (2009), and numerous Script In Hand readings. Shanahan is also the creator and curator of Westport Country Playhouse Radio Theater, in partnership with WSHU Public Radio, and served as writer/director of the Playhouse radio adaptation of “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” and as director of scripts commissioned for the series. mark-shanahan.net.
The creative team includes James J. Fenton, set design; Linda Cho, costume design; Alyssandra Docherty, lighting design; John Gromada, music and sound design; Seth Andrew Bridges, fight choreography. Production stage manager is Becky Fleming. Assistant stage manager is Lauren Goldman. Props are loaned by the original production designed by Anna Louizos. Additional support provided by Fat Goose Productions and TheatreNerd Productions.
Performance schedule is Sat., Dec. 13 at 7 pm.; Sun., Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.; Wed., Thurs., and Fri., Dec. 17-19 at 7 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 20 at 3 and 8 p.m.; and Sun., Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. The play is recommended for age 7and up. Running time is 108 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
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 be giving 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., 12 to 5 p.m.
“A Sherlock Carol” Production Partner is Claire Wilkes. Corporate Production Supporter is 3030 Park at Senior Living Hospitality Group. 2025 Programming and Season Sponsor is Barbara Streicker. 2025 Media Sponsors are Moffly Media and WSHU Public Radio. Westport Country Playhouse is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization.
For “A Sherlock Carol” information and tickets, visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/a-sherlock-carol-2025/
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