A pair of ghosts (one of whom is Sherlock Holmes himself), a retired thespian (who serves the ham thickly sliced), his romantic daughter (who has her own dramatic streak), a long-suffering wife, some cagey servants and the renowned Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are the unlikely cast of characters who are embroiled in a murder on a gracious country estate. The Reluctant Resurrection of Sherlock Holmes is a comedy-thriller that challenges Conan Doyle (and the audience) to match wits with the world's greatest detective. The solution is satisfying and this production, though suffering from a few opening night bumps, delivers on the humor. Many of the actors are called upon to give over-the-top performances, but the action is grounded by a very subtle and nuanced performance by Rayna Smith-Camp as the mistress of the house. And as usual at TAG, a marvelous set deserves special mention of its own. --Kate Watson
To May 5, Pond Playhouse, 6 Parkhill Road, 8pm (2pm on Sun Apr 29), $16/$13, 451-1221, ticketatlantic.com