About the Play:

Sherlock's Veiled Secret is a full-length drama by K.C. Brown. What secret could be so dark, so deadly, as to rouse the sixty-six year-old Sherlock Holmes from his peaceful retirement in Sussex? A secret leading to blackmail and murder and one which brings Holmes and the young Violet Sheridan together. Why is the Great Detectives so keen for young sculptress to join him in solving this troubling blackmail case? It's a complex and clever mystery, with well-rounded characters.

Sherlock's Veiled Secret features the world's most famous Detective. It is 1920. Violet Sheridan, an aspiring young sculptor, is summoned to meet Sherlock Holmes, who is now retired and keeping bees in Sussex. Violet hopes that the great man has invited her in order to commission a bust of himself, but instead he reveals to her that they have a close family connection. Leaving out a crucial piece of the puzzle of her mysterious origins, Holmes abruptly asks Violet to collaborate with him on an unsettling blackmail case that has disturbed his retirement. But rather than join the aging sleuth, Violet embarks on her own investigation in search of her true identity. Holmes, famous for his ability to reveal truths, employs all his waning strength to conceal the facts of Violet's heritage. Her keen, intuitive sleuthing brings her in contact with several elusive and fascinating women – all of whom seem to have been intimately involved with the Great Detective. Consulting a medium, at a seance Violet learns some distressing information concerning her birthright, while at the same time, Holmes' blackmail, and now murder, case becomes intertwined with Violet's search for her elusive lineage. The conclusion of the mysteries finds Holmes the super-hero forced to confront Holmes the flawed, mortal man, and his dynamic young apprentice is thrust into a situation in which she discovers her true self as she rescues her lost parents from danger. Sherlock's Veiled Secret is sure to delight fans of the Sherlock Holmes canon as well as those new to the stories of Mr. Holmes.

Sherlock's Veiled Secret premiered in 1994 at the Bathhouse Theatre in Seattle. Its Canadian premier was in 1998 at the Pleiades Theatre in Calgary. Since then it has been consistently delighting audiences all over North America, and has become a staple of community theatres.

Cast: 4 female, 3 male

What people say:

"These characters live and breathe. Their faces, body language and manners of speech become pieces of the puzzle. Although the story was co-authored by K.C. Brown and Arne Zazlov, it seemed as if Doyle wrote it himself, as the genuine Holmes stepped from page to stage." — Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber (Vashon, WA)

About the Playwright:

Claire Zaslove is a Canadian actor and director who also writes plays under the pen name K.C. Brown. A native of Vancouver, she attended Yale University, earning a BA in English and Theatre Studies in 1981, followed by a 1984 MFA in Theatre Directing from University of British Columbia. She worked in Vancouver-area theatres as an Acting Instructor and Artistic Director before moving to Seattle.