Sherlock's Last Case

Written by:
Charles Marowitz

Opening: January 28, 1994

Closing: February 6, 1994

Number of performances: 7

Time:September 1897

Setting:
A Baker Street flat

Synopsis:
Picking up where the famous stories ended, the play centers on a death threat against Sherlock Holmes by the supposed son of his late nemesis, Professor Moriarty. Oddly enough, however, Holmes is warned of the plot by Moriarty's daughter, to whom Holmes (who turns out to be quite a ladies' man) is strongly attracted. The plot then twists and turns until Holmes finds himself imprisoned in a dank cellar, trapped not by young Moriarty but, to his shocked surprise, by the good Dr. Watson—who, it turns out, has long been bitterly resentful of his second-class status as Holmes' lackey. After Holmes' demise Watson comes into his own, or seems to, until a number of imposters turn up claiming to be the real Sherlock Holmes. In sorting all this out the play mixes humor and suspense in equal amounts, leading to a stunning final twist that will surely catch audiences by complete and breath-stopping surprise.