It may not look much like a dazzling detective drama featuring one of the most famous names in literature just yet, but curtain up on the next Bancroft Players production is still more than a week away.

The first performance of Sherlock Holmes – The First Adventures will be at Hitchin’s Queen Mother Theatre on Monday, February 23, and the run continues until the following Saturday night.

It will be the first time the new play by QMT artistic director Rory Reynolds has been seen.

Rory, who admits he has been a fan of Conan-Doyle’s enduring clue-cracking creation since he was 14, said: “I’ve always wanted to bring a version of my hero to the stage and I just love the work that the director Nicki Pope has done to enhance the story.

“I wanted it to be a very modern and still recognisably traditional Holmes, and I’m sure the result will be a whirlwind experience for the audience.”

The story moves deftly between wry comedy, horror and drama so there’s something for just about everyone.

This is a Holmes for the 21st century – fans of the BBC version or the films with Robert Downey Jnr will recognise how Sherlock, Watson and Irene Adler have been drawn. It’s a fast-paced action thriller where death and danger are everywhere, set in a grim London of 1991, 100 years after the original adventures.

Performances are at 7.45pm each evening and you can book tickets online at www.qmt.org.uk or from the box office on 01462 455166