John Kearns, Humphrey Ker, Margaret Cabourn-Smith and David Reed in Sherlock Holmes and The 12 Days of Christmas at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Picture: Pete Le May
Sherlock Holmes and The 12 Days of Christmas continues at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre until 18 January 2026.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
As the festive period approaches, theatres across the land fill their stages with a world of musicals, plays and pantomimes, all hoping to bring a bit of seasonal cheer to your Christmas. If you haven’t decided yet what you’re in the mood for, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s offering might be just the ticket. Blending a mix of styles into a comedy whodunnit with music, Sherlock Holmes and The 12 Days of Christmas serves up London’s greatest detective, new songs by musical theatre titans Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and a murder mystery with its tongue firmly in its cheek.
We’re in Victorian London, and the legendary Sherlock Holmes (Humphrey Ker) feels unchallenged by the latest crimes, wanting to get his mitts on a mystery outside of the everyday. As luck would have it, one such puzzle arrives – someone is on a murder spree based on the song ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’.
When leaping lords and dancing ladies start being killed in the middle of performances in the heart of London’s Theatreland, Holmes and his faithful friend Dr Watson (David Reed) and bumbling Inspector Lestrade (John Kearns) aim to solve the case before the mysterious ‘Partridge’ gets the chop – if they can get there before rival detective Athena Faversham (Helena Wilson) beats them to it.
If pantomime isn’t your thing, and you can’t sit through another viewing of A Christmas Carol or White Christmas, this cozy crime caper is a solid alternative. Directed by Phillip Breen and written by Ker and Reed, the show lovingly spoofs the pomposity of the great detecting duo, and fans of the genre will find a lot to enjoy.
The pace is snappy, and the writing is playful and regularly breaks the fourth wall, while staying on the right side of broad pantomime. The show actually wouldn’t be out of place in Mischief Theatre’s catalogue of madcap creations, which is no small praise. The actual ‘whodunnit’ reveal is a little underwhelming and true mystery fans may feel a little shortchanged, but that isn’t really the point of the piece.
Sold as a play with songs rather than a fully-fledged musical, there’s still enough narrative drive and character development in the score that technically we can still class it as a musical, albeit one with only half a dozen songs. The compositions themselves are fine, unlikely to join the legacy of their writers’ best works, but enjoyable enough, with Rice’s knack for witty pith on full display along with Webber’s ear for a memorable melody.
The songs don’t add a great deal and the piece would still work without them, but as a new full original musical from the pair is looking less likely these days, this is still a lovely testament to the strength of the writing partnership and what they’ve contributed to the world of musical theatre in the past.
Visually the show exudes the spirit of Christmas, warm colours contrasting with delicate snowfall and a smoky backdrop of Victorian London. Sets and costumes (Mark Bailey) evoke the overall feel and spirit of the period beautifully, and Anna Watson’s lighting design adds a further delicate touch.
Ker and Reed are note-perfect as the detecting leads, clearly big fans of the original characters and pitch their portrayals just right, never parody or caricature but still mining the most out of the comedy.
They’re brilliantly supported by other strong comic turns from Kearns as the blundering Inspector Lestrade, Wilson as the rival detective Athena Faversham looking to have one up on Holmes, and Margaret Cabourn-Smith who very nearly steals the show from everyone’s feet in the dual roles of housekeeper Mrs Hudson and a nameless crone making the most of a single scene hanging washing out. It’s a remarkably tight ensemble cast which shares an impeccable shared sense of comic timing and never miss a beat.
Some may find the show’s mix of styles without fully committing to any of them a bit too hotchpotch, but at the same time, it means that Sherlock Holmes and The 12 Days of Christmas really does offer something for everyone. A strong script and sharp comedy performances make this a fun festive night out as you count down to the big day.
Rob Bartley
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