Hamilton-Gibson Productions will present Miss Holmes Returns by Christopher M. Walsh on February 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30pm and February 23 at 2:30 pm at the Warehouse Theatre in Wellsboro. This is the sequel to Miss Holmes, which HG performed to acclaim in 2019 and features the original cast returning to the roles of Sherlock, Watson, Mycroft, Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson. The play opens on Valentine’s Day, when a special Valentine’s Gimlet cocktail will be available for purchase and can be brought into the theater.

Based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved characters, a female Sherlock Holmes and her partner investigate a complex case involving a nurse and activist on the run from a murder charge. Pursued by authorities who choose to ignore a clear case of self-defense due to the nurse’s Indian heritage and by sinister figures from the criminal underworld who are using her to advance their agenda, she looks to Miss Holmes for help.

The play is again directed by Gabe Hakvaag, who says, “It was clear by the end of Miss Holmes that some sort of sequel was in the works. Sure enough, Miss Holmes Returns became available for production after a four-year delay. I loved the idea of ‘getting the band back together,’ so I approached all of the actors whose characters would be returning and quickly had about half of the cast in place.”

The returning characters and actors are: Nikki York of Mainesburg as Sherlock Holmes, Sarah Elswick of Wellsboro as Dr. Dorothy Watson, Titus Himmelberger of Wellsboro as Mycroft Holmes, Mike Lavarnway of Elmira as Inspector Lestrade, and Deb Sawyer of Wellsboro as Mrs. Hudson. 

“The chance to revisit these characters, with folks I consider my friends, and also to chart their growth from our 2019 production to today,” says Hakvaag, “has been a real pleasure. The bonus has been how the old hands are making room for the new actors in this very character-oriented thriller.”

New characters in this story include: Mukta Phatak of New York City as Priya Singh; Kacy Hagan of Wellsboro as Josephine Butler, Tai Petrofsky of Wellsboro as Olive McGann, Sean Bartlett of Mansfield as Adam Worthington, Lilace Guignard of Wellsboro as Mrs. Wiggins, and Jeffrey Ryan of Wellsboro as Daniel Burke and the Dock Worker.

The Warehouse Theatre is located at 3 Central Avenue. Tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for children 18 and under and can be pre-purchased at hgp.booktix.com. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door if the show is not sold out. The house opens 30 minutes before showtime, and patrons can make special accessibility requests at hamiltongibson.org or by calling (570) 724-2079.