Holmes Fest Returns for 2025
The Conan Doyle Estate are pleased to provide support to 'Holmes Fest' a celebration of the life and times of Arthur Conan Doyle - this year returning with 10 days of fun events - celebrating Arthur Conan Doyle's connections with Portsmouth.
The full programme includes a hilarious brand new theatre show walks, talks, film screenings, an open mic night and even a murder mystery dinner.
It all kicks off on 19th and 20th September with the Holmes Fest Theatre Show at the Groundlings Theatre, Portsea. With sketches, film, live music, comedy and spoken word, the two hour show is a romp through Victorian Portsmouth.
The show stars Mark Wingett (The Bill, Eastenders and Quadrophenia) alongside his brother Matt and actors singers and musicians from the Portsmouth area.
There's even a prize for the audience's Best-Dressed Victorian. "You don't have to dress up to come along," says organiser Matt Wingett, "but you could win if you do. Last year we had some fantastic cosplayers, and I'm sure there'll be even more this year!"
Over the ten days, festival-goers can attend talks, go on a guided walk of Conan Doyle's Portsmouth attend a talk by Andrew Lycett and Mark Norman on Sherlock and the folklore behind the Hound of the Baskervilles and go to an open mic night dedicated to Conan Doyle.
Those with a hunger for mystery can solve crimes at a Murder Mystery Dinner - and kids can attend a fun arts workshop dedicated to The Lost World.
There's even a fun show ZOINKS! in which Sherlock Holmes teams up with Scooby Doo and the team of The Mystery Machine to look at the folklore behind some of the great mysteries. This will be great fun!
Of course, this year is the hundredth anniversary of Conan Doyle's classic movie of The Lost
World, which inspired Jurassic Park and a free kids' art workshop at Southsea Community Cinema and Arts Centre, where kids can paint dinosaur eggs and skulls - as well as a talk followed by a free showing of the 1925 silent movie.
The final night will see the close of the festival with a wrap party and showing of the 1939 Hound of the Baskervilles. Click HERE for all of the details and information about tickets
"It's going to be such a lot of fun," says Matt Wingett. "It's the start of something that will only grow over the coming years - so come in at the ground level and join us on our journey celebrating the extraordinary connection Sherlock Holmes has to Portsmouth. We look forward to seeing you there!"
