On the first day of Christmas, Scotland Yard gave to me… a corpse in the West End. This festive season a gleefully daft new whodunnit brings the world’s greatest consulting detective to one of London’s most atmospheric stages: Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas arrives at the Alexandra Palace Theatre for Christmas 2026, opening in previews on 24 November and running until 17 January 2027, with press night on 1 December.
Following a hugely successful run at Birmingham Rep, the play comes from the writing team of Humphrey Ker and David Reed and is directed by Phillip Breen. It’s produced by Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Eilene Davidson Productions and Heartaches Limited — the team behind Mark Gatiss’s hit stage adaptation of A Christmas Carol — who are making the festive whodunnit their new Christmas offering at Ally Pally.
“We are so excited to be bringing this Christmas cracker of a Sherlock Holmes mystery to London, and especially to the breathtaking Alexandra Palace Theatre. Prepare to be transported to Victorian England, but with a touch more tinsel.”
Eleanor Lloyd, on behalf of the producers
A murder for every verse
It’s Christmas in Victorian London. In the glittering West End — where dreams come true and nothing bad ever happens — performers are suddenly dropping dead mid-scene. Scotland Yard rules out foul play, but when Sherlock Holmes uncovers a chilling connection to The Twelve Days of Christmas, he knows something sinister is afoot.
With the body count rising and time running out, Sherlock must race to save French Hens, recover Gold Rings and rescue Mother Goose before the killer strikes again. But as he hurtles towards a deadly showdown, will this be the case that finally brings down the great detective? Or can his trusty sidekick Dr Watson and brilliant rival Athena Faversham keep him alive long enough for another serving of Christmas pudding? Expect a loving spoof of classic detective stories, stuffed with gags and seasonal silliness.
The setting is a treat in itself. The Alexandra Palace Theatre — the beautifully faded Victorian auditorium inside north London’s hilltop “People’s Palace” — reopened in 2018 after decades in the dark, and its atmospheric grandeur is the perfect backdrop for a Victorian murder mystery served with a generous helping of tinsel.
The Essentials
- Production: Sherlock Holmes and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Humphrey Ker & David Reed
- Directed by: Phillip Breen
- Where: Alexandra Palace Theatre, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY
- When: 24 November 2026 – 17 January 2027 (press night 1 December). Tue–Sat 7.30pm; Sun 5pm; matinee times vary
- Access performances: Captioned 3 January 2027 (1pm); Audio Described 12 January 2027 (7.30pm)
- Tickets: from £20
- Booking: sherlockchristmasonstage.com · 020 8365 4343
A Little Bit of London In Your Inbox Weekly. Sign-up for our free weekly London newsletter. Sent every Friday with the latest news from London!