REVIEW: Sherlock Holmes The Death and Life, Prague Fringe 2026 ★★★★

What’s that Watson? Another adaptation of Sherlock Holmes? Surely this character has existed for so long people are getting bored of him, no? Well, that’s certainly the opinion of Arthur Conan Doyle in this surprising and intriguing Holmes adaptation by David Stuart Davies.

In this one-man epic, Nigel Miles-Thomas thrills us as Holmes; frightens us as Moriarty; amuses us as Inspector Lestrade and has us fully doubled over as Mrs Hudson as well as inhabiting Arthur Conan Doyle himself. Whilst luring the audience into expecting a retelling of a classic Holmes and Watson adventure, this narrative is more than meets the eye, for the real villain is the author himself.

Arthur Conan Doyle, sick of being known as ‘the Sherlock Holmes man’, seeks to slay his own masterpiece in devising the death of Sherlock Holmes. A final addition of the ongoing anthology series in the Strand Magazine must be written to achieve this end and so Doyle enlists the assistance of his new fictional creation Professor James Moriarty to provide the final ‘push’.

But Moriarty, being the cunning and morally depraved individual that he is, has plans of his own and thus we the audience witness a epic web of deception and mutual betrayal between creator and creation.

The version of Holmes we meet is unbearably smug as Holmes often is. However, he is also more paranoid, bolder and more comical than I am used to. It is a refreshing change even against the already novel framing device of the show itself and provides a lovely contrast to the other characters that Miles-Thomas plays, each with their own unique cadence, posture and intonation. It really is an acting masterclass and a stellar example of how to keep the audience hanging on to your every word.

The show isn’t perfect though, I do believe the show suffers slightly from not knowing when to call it quits. There were several moments in the latter ten to fifteen minutes that I thought would make a perfect and poignant ending only to move on to another scene, and then another. Perhaps that was the point though? Just like Holmes, do we as the audience really want the story to end?

For a Holmes fan, this show is an absolute winner and a marvellous story exploring when a creation outlives the creator, becoming in many ways immortal far beyond it’s original intention, and providing adventurous escapism in the process.

Recommended drink: Whiskey and soda, we might as well method act this right?

Catch Sherlock Holmes The Death and Life at Café Club Míšenská until 30th May 2026. Tickets are available via the Prague Fringe Online Box Office.