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Sherlock Holmes is an impossible person to bring to a Christmas party. He insists on sharing grotesque stories in mixed company. He explodes with loud “hrrmph” and “ha” at odd moments. And he has no idea what to do with sleigh bells—he is supposed to shake them during “Jingle Bells” but keeps trying to fasten them about his wrist like a watch.
Of course, he does solve crimes. So if a famous set of diamonds vanishes during the festivities, he is a handy fellow to have around.
Watching James Sparling as the socially awkward but brilliant detective is one of the chief delights of “Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns,” now playing at City Lit Theater. But it’s not the only one. Directed by City Lit executive artistic director Brian Pastor, this is a happy combination of witty dialogue, lovely Victorian costumes and four-part harmony Christmas caroling, with the lyrics sometimes changed to reflect the action. There’s even a touch of Gilbert & Sullivan. At less than an hour long, the show is like a beautifully decorated Christmas cookie—sweet, satisfying and just the right size.
The play was written by the prolific John Weagly, adapted from the short story “The Flying Stars” by G.K. Chesterton, but swapping in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes for Father Brown. Weagly was also the co-author and adaptor of the popular holiday play “Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose.”
This is the fourth time Sparling has appeared at City Lit as Holmes, with Adam Bitterman as his sturdy friend and narrator, Dr. Watson. In this story, Watson and Holmes are in the country for a Boxing Day party. The eccentric and wealthy Lady Gabriella, played with grand-old-dame gusto by Betsy Pennington-Taylor, makes a gift of the “Flying Stars” to her goddaughter, Ruby (the winsome Sophia Vitello). But the jewels vanish while the guests perform a comic pantomime, and Holmes can stop pretending to be sociable and spring into action.
There’s a lot of good silliness here, such as when the chorus sings “Deck the Halls with Commedia dell’arte… Hope we don’t see Moriarty.” Or when Manny Sevilla as a love-smitten neighbor declares, while playing Pierrot, that Columbina (Ruby) is the “ham in my sandwich.”
Also excellent in this production are Mark Mendelsohn as Colonel Adams, the deep-voiced and respectable owner of the estate, and Courtney Abbott as Jemma Blount, his Canadian sister-in-law, who gets a laugh with her first startled “ooh.”
There aren’t many surprises here. It’s easy to spot the thief. There’s a black-helmeted policeman who asks, “What’s all this then?” And Holmes frequently refers to his other mysteries, like “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Speckled Band,” reminding us that he has done some serious cases beyond this holiday trifle.
But the anglophilic familiarity is part of the pleasure—you can think, “Ah, yes, I know this,” settle in comfortably and join in singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” at the end. Not every theater production has to be a challenge. It’s the holidays, after all. As another late Victorian writer put it, some things are too important to be taken seriously.
“Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns” runs through January 4, 2026, at City Lit Theater, 1020 West Bryn Mawr. Tickets are $28 for all performances, with discounts available for seniors, students and members, available at citylit.org.
