Sherlock Holmes comes to Birmingham for world premiere
Birmingham Rep has announced the world premiere of Sherlock Holmes and The Twelve Days of Christmas from Friday 14 November, 2025 to Sunday 11 January, 2026.
The new comedy whodunnit is written by Humphrey Ker (pictured) and David Reed, stars and creators of the award-winning comic troupe The Penny Dreadfuls.
Sherlock Holmes and The Twelve Days of Christmas also features original songs by the legendary musical theatre duo Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Their previous work together includes Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.
The play will be directed by Phillip Breen with Becky Hope-Palmer.
The plot revolved around Christmas in Victorian London where Sherlock Holmes investigates the death of a flurry for performers and links int to The Twelve Days of Christmas.
David Reed and Humphrey Ker said: “There are few things that put us more in the mood for Christmas than all piling into the theatre for some much needed festive cheer.
“And what could be cheerier than a series of brutal murders underscored by a few new bangers from the mighty duo of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber?
“Huge thanks to Birmingham Rep for letting us show everybody what we’ve been cooking up with Sherlock Holmes and The Twelve Days of Christmas - without a doubt our biggest, daftest and most riotous show yet."
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber added: “Sherlock Holmes and The Twelve Days of Christmas is pure mischief. It has the exuberance of a Christmas tree, the joy of a panto and a plot worthy of Conan Doyle. It’s wonderful to be working together again on something so unashamedly fun.”
Humphrey Ker is an Emmy and Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning writer, actor and football club director.
He is known for his roles on NBC's American Auto, FX's It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and BBC1's Daddy Issues, alongside appearances on Have I Got News For You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Welcome To Wrexham.
As a writer he has worked for three seasons on Apple TV Hit Mythic Quest, written the upcoming Amazon Prime Feature Film If I Were You and the stage and feature film versions of Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher.
David Reed is a playwright, actor and comedian. His radio plays include Guy Fawkes, Revolution, Macbeth Rebothered, The Odyssey, Curse of The Beagle, Le Carré On Spying, Don Quixote, Hadrian’s Beard, Richard III Rebothered and Severus (Co-written with Paterson Joseph).
He is the writer/creator of Audible Original series Zeroes and his television credits include Daddy Issues, It’s Kevin & The Real History of Sex.
His debut theatrical production, Guy Fawkes, was staged by York Theatre Royal in 2022.
