Based on a New Yorker article by celebrated author and journalist David Grann (The Killers of Flower Moon, The Lost City of Z) and written by Michael Mitnick (The Giver, HBO’s Vinyl), Mysterious Circumstances draws you into a world where the truth may very well be stranger than fiction. This is the unbelievably true story of Richard Lancelyn Green, a world-renowned expert on the works of author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), who was found dead in his London apartment.

The subsequent investigation revealed uncanny similarities between the case and the plot of a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The victim, who only wore slip-on shoes, was strangled with a shoelace and his door locked from inside. Suspects and motive abound, creating a complex mystery. Matt Shakman directs Emmy nominee Alan Tudyk (Prelude to a Kiss, Spamalot) as both Richard Lancelyn Green and Sherlock Holmes. Surrounding him is a supporting cast of agile actors who each play multiple characters with clockwork precision and British tongue-in-cheek dialogue. Among them, Ramiz Monsef (who was also in the riveting Guards at the Taj) as Dr. John Watson, the devoted sidekick and flatmate of the master sleuth, is a standout. He matches Tudyk’s comedic timing, and brings depth to an otherwise more passive character in the books. But ultimately, the production itself is the star of the show with sets by Brett J. Banakis that are impressively versatile and constantly evolving to keep up with the vignettes.

— Victor Riobo

Mysterious Circumstances at the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024 through July 14th. Tickets HERE.