Starlight Dinner Theatre returns to the stage with delightful musical mystery

What happens when American chocolatier Milton Hershey travels to Victorian London and meets renowned detective Sherlock Holmes and his best mate, Dr. John Watson? A duke is murdered, a palace is robbed, a new candy is invented, and a literal wild goose chase ensues.

Combining humor, mystery and a dash of historical charm, “Sherlock Holmes and the Great Royal Goose Chase” is an inventive and entertaining addition to the Holmesian canon. Nearly five years after COVID shuttered venues around the world — and in the wake of having to cancel two-thirds of its 2023-‘24 season due to difficulty finding a performance space — Starlight Dinner Theatre has returned to its home base, Waverly East Intermediate School, with this delightful musical farce.

The audience is immediately drawn into the fast-paced plot, which begins with a robbery at the home of Queen Victoria (Cheryl Sheridan) herself, Buckingham Palace. The action doesn’t slow down as Holmes (Edward Heldt) and Watson (Paul Levandowski) have lunch with a mysterious masked stranger before attending American singer Irene Adler’s (Jacqueline Lutz) final London performance, where the Duke of Wessex is murdered by … sorry, no spoilers. What was the valuable treasure stolen from Buckingham Palace? Will it ever be returned to its rightful owner? Who murdered the duke? How many people will die? And what exactly is Hershey’s relationship to Adler? You’ll need to buy a ticket to find out.

It’s impossible not to have fun while watching Holmes and Watson outsmart the thief and the murderer while running circles around inept police officer Inspector Lestrade (Michael Hays). Their witty banter and camaraderie as they work to untangle the webs of deception draw delighted laughter from the crowd. You’ll absolutely adore Laura Johnson as Holmes’s protégé, William, and Lutz’s performance as the intriguing songstress is also not to be missed. Clever lyrics and catchy tunes make for memorable musical numbers that move the story forward at a satisfying pace until the mystery is ultimately resolved aboard the RMS Oceanic.

It’s always a delight to watch the iconic detective’s legendary sleuthing skills in action, and this whimsical adaptation is no exception. Whether or not you decide to have dinner, you’ll want to take this opportunity to stop by 221B Baker St.