CASTING CALL
Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty (Equity and Non-Equity)
By Nick Lane, based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Directed by Cherissa Richards
ENGAGEMENT COMPANY AND OUTSIDE DATES
Vertigo Theatre (Calgary) – rehearsals begin October 20, 2026; opens November 19, 2026; closes December 19, 2026.
PRODUCTION DESCRIPTION
A junior government clerk is found dead on the railway tracks. Papers found in his pocket contain closely guarded government secrets that Mycroft Holmes feels his brother Sherlock should investigate. As the case unfolds, a series of mysterious events leads to a rising body count among ‘The Scoundrels Assembly’. At the centre of it all is a shadowy figure planning one final deadly move in his twisted chess match. The players are ready, the scene is set, but how much will Sherlock Holmes sacrifice as he faces ‘checkmate’?
This thrilling North American Premiere from the playwright that brought us THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE brings Sherlock’s most challenging case and arch nemesis to the Vertigo stage this holiday season.
CASTING NOTE
Unless otherwise noted, actors should prepare a British dialect for these characters.
ROLES TO BE CAST
John Watson
male Late 30s – early 40s
As with the novels, Dr. Watson is our narrator and very much our eyes into this particular world. He is loyal and attentive, enjoys his time with Holmes a great deal (and Mrs. Hudson too, with whom he enjoys a relationship of gentle verbal sparring) and he loves them both. He is also a very bright man – something often overlooked when considering the character of Watson – he just happens to spend his time with a genius! As mentioned in the earlier Conan-Doyle novels, Watson walks with the aid of a cane, the result of taking a bullet in Afghanistan in his previous life as an army medic.
Sherlock Holmes
male Late 30s – early 40s
Quite simply the most well-known fictional detective in literature. Holmes’ manner, his attention to detail, his photographic memory and his skill at disciplines as varied as chemistry, pugilism, the playing of bowed instruments, global politics and disguise, make him a formidable foe to all of the criminals in London. He is not by any means an emotional man, but this isn’t to say he doesn’t feel – indeed, his compassion is often the reason he becomes embroiled in cases in the first place. He is particularly keen on – and protective of – Watson, and regularly encourages his friend to use his own analytical brain. The actor playing this character should be comfortable with fight choreography. *RP British dialect required
Mrs. Hudson / Irene Adler / Hilda Trelawney Hope / Violet Westbury / Hotel Porter
female Early-mid 30s
Mrs. Hudson: Very much the third part of a crime-solving triumvirate, Mrs. Hudson’s role in this mystery is not merely one of bringing in letters and ferrying visitors to Baker Street into the study – she is an intelligent woman whose input is welcomed by both Holmes and Watson. By this point in their relationship – in our story anyway – Mrs. Hudson has long been embraced as a part of the team, even to the extent that she heads out with Holmes on occasion, undercover as a couple – “the Aspinalls.” Feisty, honest, kind and with a dry sense of humour, Mrs. Hudson is far more than a tea-lady. *may speak with either a Scottish or northern English dialect.
Irene Adler (two scenes): In the Holmes canon, Irene Adler appears in only one story (“A Scandal in Bohemia”) – wherein she proves herself to be very much Holmes’ intellectual equal, beating him at his own game and winning his lifelong admiration (and a nickname; “The Woman”). Here she returns to reveal a little more of her character, to spar verbally with Holmes once again and to engage his services. An American (in the books her State of her birth is given as New Jersey, but this can naturally be changed as required), she has been an opera singer, an adventuress, she is smart, independent, and not someone to be crossed. A key role within the play. The actor playing this character should have some experience with stage combat. *American dialect required.
Hilda Trelawney-Hope (two scenes): Hilda, the wife of a government minister, is a huge Holmes and Watson fan, having read all of Watson’s accounts of his friend’s cases. When her husband needs Holmes’ help, she is desperate to come to Baker Street with him to meet the great detective in person. Unbeknownst to her husband however, Hilda has a secret of her own, which Holmes soon figures out…
Violet Westbury (one scene): An honest, desperately upset woman who was due to be married to a character thought responsible for the first crime in the play. Violet has heard of Sherlock Holmes and pleads with him to help save her late fiancé’s honour.
Hotel Porter (one scene): A hotel porter. Not much else to say here.
Inspector Lestrade / Professor Moriarty / Alexander Trelawney-Hope / Herbert Fennell / Louis LaRotière
Male Mid-late 30s
Inspector Lestrade: Inspector Lestrade is arguably the most respected of the Scotland Yard Detectives who call upon Sherlock Holmes for assistance. He may not be particularly refined but he is smart, thoroughly respectful of Holmes’ intellect (even if he doesn’t always approve of his methods) and will happily hold his hands up and ask for Holmes’ help if he’s stumped. In short, he’s a good man.
Professor Moriarty (two scenes): The driving force behind the whole narrative, Professor Moriarty is the cunning, fiercely intelligent counterpoint to our hero – the other side of the same coin. Everything he does is meticulously planned, and for the most part he is at least a step ahead of Holmes (or believes himself to be). He is a believer in change, in instability, in mastery through the creation and maintenance of chaos, and, like his nemesis, he both enjoys Holmes’ presence as an equal and wishes to be rid of him. When cornered he is as dangerous a foe as Holmes has ever faced, but generally he has the calm, measured demeanour of an intellectual. A genius. A psychopath. Both.
Alexander Trelawney-Hope (one scene): The Secretary of State for European Affairs, we meet Alexander Trelawney-Hope at a low point in his life and career. A hugely important letter has been stolen from his house, and this theft has the potential to leave his career in ruins and jeopardise the safety of the country. As a last resort, Hope calls upon Holmes. A desperate, terrified figure.
Herbert Fennell (one scene): An archivist at The Times, Herbert Fennell works with Mrs. Hudson on pulling together clues that might help Holmes work out why certain murders have been committed. A decent, honest man, it is implied that he and Mrs. Hudson might be tentatively moving towards having feelings for one another.
Louis LaRotière (one scene): This is little more than a presence on stage – LaRotière is a spy who Holmes and Mrs. Hudson discover with a letter opener in his neck. He is, in fact, dead, so… not much character work to do here!
Sir James deWilde / Don Chappel / Ronald Smith / Hugo Oberstein / Rail Officer
Male Mid 30s
Sir James deWilde: Professor Moriarty’s acolyte, Sir James is the other villain of our story. A cunning villain and cold-blooded killer, on the surface Sir James comes across as decent, self-effacing and helpful to both Holmes and Watson – indeed, he is introduced as being under Mycroft Holmes’ tutelage in Whitehall, and appears to hold Sherlock’s brother in high esteem. The truth is, Sir James deWilde, real name James Wilder, is the bitter, vengeful bastard son of the Duke of Holderness, who was taken under the wing of Moriarty years before and indoctrinated into the Professor’s aims and methods. Having served in British intelligence as a spy, he is sharp, a master of disguise and ruthlessly ambitious, not caring one whit about who he steps on as he marches towards his goals…
Don Chappel (one scene): A thug, hired by Moriarty to do Holmes and Watson harm. This does not go well. The actor playing this character should be comfortable with fight choreography.
Ronald Smith (one scene): The caretaker at the Little Theatre (now the Haymarket Theatre), Ronald Smith is clearly a believer in the supernatural and terrified of ghosts. The fact that Sherlock Holmes helped solve a mystery of his is the only reason he’s prepared to venture into the “haunted” part of the theatre…
Hugo Oberstein (one scene): Hugo Oberstein is a spy who we see very briefly before he meets a somewhat grisly end. Again, not much character work needed for this one!
Rail Officer (one scene): An officious employee of the Southern Rail company, this unnamed character is somewhat put out by having to follow a woman onto the train lines to talk with Sherlock Holmes.
Mycroft Holmes / Colonel Valentine Walter / Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice / Wilhelm von Ormstein / Will Parfitt
Male Late 40s – early 50s
Mycroft Holmes: Mentioned in only a handful of Conan Doyle’s stories, Holmes’ older brother is described by Sherlock himself as being at least his intellectual equal, if not his superior. The difference between the two is that Mycroft does not enjoy leaving his home, his office or his club. In other words, he’s rather physically lazy. Holmes is right about his mind though; Mycroft is as sharp as a tack and proves himself very useful in this mystery (as well as being a vital part of Moriarty’s plan). *RP British dialect required.
Colonel Valentine Walter (two scenes): This decorated army Officer, whom we first meet after the sudden death of his brother, is Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for War. He is also an unsuccessful gambler saddled with a number of debts and forced into stealing some submarine blueprints in the first of our cases within the play.
Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice (two scenes): The Secretary of State for War, Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice is noted as being more of a bureaucrat and a pen-pusher than a man of action. He is not at all fond of Mycroft Holmes or the power he holds in the corridors of power, and is deeply mistrustful of him and his brother Sherlock.
Wilhelm von Ormstein (one scene): King Wilhelm of Bohemia is seen briefly in flashback as a way of establishing another character, Irene Adler – he is a large, flamboyantly dressed character who tasks Holmes with the retrieval of a rather incriminating photograph. Later we learn that Mycroft Holmes has gone to spend time with von Ormstein in his palace in Prague, which might offer a clue as to the accent.
Will Parfitt (one scene): A thug, hired by Moriarty to do Holmes and Watson harm. This does not go well. The actor playing this character should be comfortable with fight choreography.
AUDITION DATES
April 19 and 20, 2026.
CASTING PROCESS
Selected candidates will be provided with scenes to work from during the auditions.
Vertigo Theatre has a responsibility to create work spaces where people are comfortable in a creation process, and can be themselves in every capacity. With this in mind, we encourage submissions from those who identify as Indigenous, Black, or POC as well as 2SLGBTQIA+, Disabled/People with Disabilities and/or Neuro-Divergent people.
If there are any potential barriers (language, disability, or any other considerations) preventing you from applying to audition, please let us know and we will work with you to find a suitable application process.
HOW TO SUBMIT
We would like to request a submission package consisting of:
• headshot
• resume
Please submit packages through the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/huntformoriarty
We will not be collecting hard copies of headshots and resumes at the audition. The audition panel will receive them all electronically.
DEADLINE for submission packages is March 25, 2026, at 11:59pm.
LOCAL SUBMISSIONS ONLY FOR THIS CASTING CALL.
CAEA Members will be given first priority.
Laura Willow
Company Manager, Vertigo Theatre
[email protected]
