Birmingham Rep is unwrapping something delightfully unexpected for the festive season: Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas, a new comedy whodunnit packed with mystery, music, and a touch of the absurd. Opening on 14 November and running through 11 January 2026, this world premiere promises a holiday case quite unlike any in the Holmes canon — complete with original songs by legendary duo Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Taking on the roles of Holmes and Watson are the show’s co-writers, Humphrey Ker and David Reed, longtime collaborators and self-confessed Holmes fanatics. Ker, who recently earned an Emmy for his producing work on Welcome to Wrexham, steps into the iconic deerstalker, while Reed — known for appearances in Father Brown and Endeavour — brings his wit to the ever-loyal Dr. Watson. The mystery itself centres on a series of suspicious deaths among West End performers, all bizarrely linked to the festive classic The Twelve Days of Christmas.
The production is directed by Phillip Breen and Becky Hope-Palmer, with Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Mrs. Hudson and John Kearns as a beleaguered Lestrade. The tone? Cheerfully irreverent. "Dave and I are absolutely delighted to have tricked the Birmingham Rep into letting us write and star in a wildly silly Holmes and Watson adventure," Ker quips. Expect nods to classic detective stories, cheeky holiday pastiche, and more than a few musical surprises.
For fans of Holmes, musical theatre, or seasonal sleuthing, this is one festive offering that promises to be anything but elementary.
