On the night of February 5^th, 2026, the NCPA drama commission Suspect Sherlock Holmes, had its eighth stunning round’s premiere at the Multi-functional Theatre. That night, NCPA Drama Ensemble members, including ZHAO Ling, FENG Yang, MA Qinglong, WU Song, WANG Yiqing and LI Zhaoyang, gathered on the stage, vividly portraying those popular classic literary characters, such as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, in a two-hour enigma filled with amazing plot twists and emotional entanglements.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a great detective novel series that has been popular in the world for more than a century, features a leading character, Sherlock Holmes, who is an embodiment of wisdom and justice. Not simply being content to present what takes place in the original, the creative team of the drama Suspect Sherlock Holmes built a story outline with an entirely new hypothesis. Then based on the original narrative and details, they proposed the possibility of creating a parallel universe in the drama, thereby building a brand-new and solid story structure. That night, the drama began with a “farewell” over the Reichenbach Falls. Sherlock falls down into the darkness during his confrontation with Professor Moriarty, but something unexpected occurs three years later. Dr. Watson learns that his close friend remains alive. However, Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft Holmes, sues him ruthlessly, while the police present a chain of evidence, implying that Sherlock is already a new crime boss. Thinking of Sherlock, his close partner in the past, Dr. Watson gets caught in a fierce struggle between trust and betrayal, and between sensibility and sense. That is, he struggles between the past friendship and the irrefutable evidence, while Sherlock’s unkind words, related to “survival of the fittest in natural selection”, almost smash everybody’s faith. Although the plot is full of suspense and twists, the drama remains deeply rooted in the most touching eternal values promoted in Conan Doyle’s original novel, including extraordinary wisdom, unyielding justice, profound friendship and great courage essential for all these. Thus for the drama, it not only presents a high-standard narrative, but also unfolds as what is beyond a mere puzzle game, evolving into an impressive masterpiece that explores the complexity of human nature and the power of faith. The stage presentation is ingenious and exquisite - there are stage spaces at different heights and sides, with the story taking place in a stage setting that seems to be both virtual and real. The classical elegance of the Victorian era is thus able to coexist and resonate with a tense atmosphere of crime, greatly enhancing the narrative rhythm. The lighting design makes the stage look more like a silver screen. When watching it, the audience cannot help shuttling between memory and reality, and between surface and truth.

The drama will be presented for the 50^th session before the Year of the Horse. A variety of off-stage activities will be held during the staging of the drama Suspect Sherlock Holmes. A limited number of ticket folders themed on the 50^th Stage Presentation and Valentine’s Day will be delivered before the performance on February 13^th and 14^th. More ingenious bonus scene will be there to help the audience witness thrilling plot twists and enter into interactions to experience what is uniquely romantic and impressive.