James Sparling and Adam Bitterman Photo by Steven Townsend, Distant Era

The story is set on Boxing Day at the country home of the relatively recently widowed Colonel Adams, with whom Watson served in Afghanistan. Watson has shown questionable judgment in bringing Holmes along, as evidenced by that fact that the latter's detailed stories of his cases repeatedly challenge the delicate sensibilities of the ladies of the house, Adams' daughter Ruby, and his sister-in-law, Jemma, who has traveled from Canada to meet her deceased sister's family.

The assembled company is ultimately joined by John Crook, a young idealistic neighbor who has a burgeoning romance with Ruby, as well as Ruby's godmother, the wealthy and somewhat eccentric Lady Gabriella. A "chorus" of four servants is ever-present in the background, attending to the needs of the upper crust and commenting on the plot and character interactions in sly reworkings of traditional Christmas songs.

The mystery, such as it is, revolves around the famous trio of diamonds that give the Chesterton story its name. The gems are, in fact, so famous that they have been stolen multiple times and recovered by Holmes himself in all but one case. Lady Gabriella, having bought them at auction in Italy, had arrived intending to make a gift of them to Ruby, but they are stolen in the course of the pantomime that Jemma has roped most of the guests into performing in.

The revelation of the theft prompts finger-pointing and tension. But with Holmes on the case, shocking truths come to light, and the household is ultimately restored to holiday peace. There's a great deal of broad comedy and nonsense that strikes just the right lighthearted notes.

Jeremiah Barr's set does a lovely job of setting the holiday tone as well as capturing the class dynamics that give the plot, minimal though it is, just a bit of tension. Using just the quality of the paintings on the walls and the items on the mantel in conjunction with a team of servants, Barr conveys the old money, thoughtless wealth that makes young John Crook, a member of the gentry himself, but one with socialist leanings, uncomfortable.

And as is usual with City Lit, Barr's set makes smart use of the space. Characters enter the sitting room of the Colonel's home through a wide arch flanked by deep green silk curtains that are drawn aside for most of the scenes, but turn the room into a makeshift stage to capture the madcap vibe of the pantomime. To move the action out of doors, Barr creates two sets of paned windows and two low chests designed to look like segments of a stone wall that the cast easily shifts from the sides of the stage to the center, as needed.

Liz Cooper's lighting design is relatively simple, yet lovely in its small details, most notably the care taken as one of the servants lights the candles on the Christmas tree. The costume design by kClare McKellaston mirrors the successes of Barr's set. The fabrics, cuts, and color set the action believably in the tail end of the nineteenth century and convey the niceties of class and politics. McKellaston's approach to the pantomime is also an appropriately funny blend of found pieces and one elaborately detailed costume.

Mary McCormack's music direction is well done on the whole. One member of the Chorus uses a pitch pipe and counts the other members in a bit of fourth-wall breaking that earns the gimmick of the servants commenting on the action of the play in their modified carols. This is, overall, a fun idea that helps to keep up the tight pacing and cover scene changes, but in one or two instances it wears out its welcome a bit, particularly given that the show also has Watson occasionally "freeze" the action as he narrates the scene. The doubling up of this narrator function works well much of the time, but not all.

The cast is strong both individually and in their work together, starting with James Sparling (Holmes) and Adam Bitterman (Watson). The two are clearly deeply comfortable playing these roles opposite one another, and it is worth noting that even in such a short show (and one that backgrounds the two characters to a certain extent), each has a clear and interesting take on these well-known characters.

Bitterman gives a performance that is more assertive than that of many Watsons. He's believably inhabiting the role of brother in arms with Adams, and he's less awed by Holmes than is typical in many portrayals. Similarly, Sparling's Holmes is slightly clueless and socially awkward, yet absolutely confident in his own abilities. The awkwardness in particular is an interesting and welcome take given the plethora of approaches that infuse a cruel streak into the character.

Betsy Pennington-Taylor is terrific as Lady Gabriella. She is imperious yet likable, and her dynamic with Sparling's Holmes makes a strong case for bringing Chesterton's characters and Doyle's creation into conversation with one another.

Mark Mendelsohn has a bit of a thankless role as Colonel Adams, at least in the beginning of the show, where his character is a bit underwritten. However, Mendelsohn shines as Pantaloon, which suggests that the subdued, almost stilted Colonel has been dying for just this kind of opportunity to let loose.

As the young lovers, Sophia Vitello (Ruby) and Manny Sevilla (Crook) are somewhat underutilized, but the two have chemistry together and charm individually. Both help them to navigate and elevate some of the dialogue that is a bit obvious in being necessary exposition.

As Jemma Blount, Courtney Abbott is canny and clever. Initially, her character seems to be there to set up comedy that is all but certain to result from the clash of North American and British manners. Abbott sells this, then truly blossoms in both whipping up enthusiasm for the pantomime itself and her all-in performance as Harlequin.

The Chorus (Maggie Cain, David Fink, Alex George, and Bruce Holtman) work together well, finding both individual moments to play up the show's broad comedy and opportunities for all four of them to turn the humor up to eleven.

Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Clowns runs through January 4, 2026, at City Lit Theater Company, Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, Chicago. For tickets and information, please visit www.citylit.org or call 773-293-3682.