SHERLOCK Holmes's final novel will be brought to life in a spectacular new stage adaptation in Basingstoke.

Crammed full of adventure, mystery, and, of course, one or two rather brilliant deductions, The Valley of Fear is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s thrilling final Sherlock Holmes novel brought to life in this spectacular new stage adaptation at The Haymarket from Thursday, January, 26 to 28.

A mysterious coded message is received, a warning of imminent danger, drawing Sherlock Holmes and the faithful Dr Watson into a tale of intrigue and murder stretching from 221B Baker Street, to an ancient moated manor house, and to the bleak Pennsylvanian Vermissa Valley. Faced with a trail of bewildering clues, Holmes begins to unearth a darker, wider web of corruption, a secret society, and the sinister work of one Professor Moriarty.

READ MORE: Hampshire county councillor backs idea for university in Basingstoke

Writer and director Nick Lane said: "Bringing Holmes and Watson to the stage is a joy but one I treat with a lot of care, as audiences necessarily have expectations about how Doyle’s famous creations should be portrayed.

"Beyond that, the key challenge is structure - if I retain the structure of the novel (and each part’s length relative to the other), what would an audience who had paid to see a Sherlock Holmes mystery make of the hero disappearing before the interval, his story usurped by characters they’d hitherto never met?

"What’s great about the Holmes adventures is that Conan-Doyle wrote the vast majority of them – all but four – from Watson’s point of view. From that point, once the audience is aware of the game being played, I think it’s easier to accept actors playing multiple roles. Multi-role playing is vital to the telling of the story given the cast size and we’re lucky to have a cast experienced with that style of performance."

READ MORE: Abbey Road: Housing developer fails to fix 'dangerous' broken wall

Don’t miss Blackeyed Theatre’s stunning world premiere of Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear. Original music, stylish theatricality, and magical storytelling combine for an unforgettable experience.  

For more information and to buy tickets visit anvilarts.org.uk.