Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty

Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty
Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 November 2025
The Haymarket, Basingstoke
Various show times, see website for details
Blackeyed Theatre in association with Theatre Royal Winchester and South Hill Park
Adapted by Nick Lane from the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The game is afoot with a brand-new Sherlock Holmes adventure at The Haymarket from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 November.

The production – Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty - is brought to Basingstoke by the team behind Blackeyed Theatre's hugely successful productions of The Valley of Fear and The Sign of Four.

London, 1901. As the British Empire wages war in the name of a Queen whose health is failing, a series of mysterious events reveals a crack in the high corridors of power. A crack that threatens to destabilise monarchy, government, and Empire. And at its centre, controlling the flow of information and influence, a shadowy figure plans a final deadly move.

Drawn into the game and unsure who to trust, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves confronting figures from their past in a desperate race against time, aware that the most powerful person in the world could be in the pocket of one of the most corrupt. But just how much is Holmes willing to sacrifice as he faces ‘checkmate’?

Featuring powerful performances, a thrilling soundscape and innovative design, The Hunt for Moriarty interweaves a selection of Sherlock Holmes short stories into a single narrative, offering a thrilling new spy adventure that remains true to Conan Doyle’s work. The short stories used in the play are The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventure of the Second Stain and The Final Problem.

Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty is adapted and directed by Nick Lane (Associate Director and Literary Manager at Hull Truck from 2006 to 2014) with original music composed by Tristan Parkes. The creative team also includes Rob Myles (Fight Director), Victoria Spearing (Set Designer), Madeleine Edis (Costume Designer) and Oliver Welsh (Lighting Designer).

Writer and Director Nick Lane said: “After working with Blackeyed on two previous adaptations of Conan Doyle novels (The Sign of Four and The Valley of Fear) it was really exciting to be asked back to create something a little different for our third Holmes collaboration. So, we've pulled together a handful of the wonderful short stories - or "adventures," as Conan Doyle entitles them - and interwoven them into one singular, thrilling tale featuring Holmes' most feared, but little-seen, adversary Professor Moriarty. It's been fun capturing the pace, the spirit and the character of Doyle's original adventures, and our hope is that, like the stories themselves, The Hunt for Moriarty will keep audiences gripped - and guessing - along with the great detective himself, right to the last”. 

Artistic Director of Blackeyed Theatre, Adrian McDougall said: “There is something wonderfully comforting about Sherlock Holmes and the world of 221B Baker Street, and we’re once again revelling in the opportunity to bring that world to life for our audiences. We have a brilliant team of artists involved and I know their love and passion for the original Holmes stories will shine through this production, while allowing for audiences to discover things that are new and exciting. As always, I’m proud that we’re bucking the trend in taking high quality, mid-scale theatre to all corners of the country”.

Tickets are priced at £25 (matinees), Tue – Thu £26.50, Fri – Sat £28. Under 25s and f/t students £15.50. Friends £21.50 (25 Nov) (includes £4 booking fee).

The performance is suitable for ages 11 and over.

Contact the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244 or visit https://www.anvilarts.org.uk/events/sherlock-holmes-the-hunt-for-moriarty