Press

Miss Holmes Returns

“This whodunit features an entertaining cast, unexpected plot twists and clever nods to the original stories. It also addresses themes of sexism, colonialism and racism in ways that feel authentic to the Victorian setting but still resonate today.” – Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune

“Miss Holmes Returns offers a blend of fan-service Sherlockiana with a healthy dose of sisterhood.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Reader

“This is the rare historical piece that feels blisteringly relevant to the modern day; rarely have I had so much fun at the theater while also feeling so refreshingly validated by a show’s politics and message… heartfelt and suspenseful… In turns, this play must rapidly ricochet between the suspenseful, the political, and the personal — three seemingly disparate aims that are woven together with precision and style.” – Aaron Lockman, Rescripted

“Christopher M. Walsh has written a brilliant sequel to his first dramatic foray into the Holmes canon… One needn’t have seen Christopher M. Walsh’s prior production to appreciate this sequel, but audiences will leave the theatre hoping that he’s writing yet another installment. The play is sharp, fast-paced, filled with exciting characters, stimulating dialogue and enough puzzling logic to challenge every audience member to think.” – Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre Review

“4 stars… The talent and stagecraft [at Lifeline Theatre] have always been impressive and remain so with Miss Holmes Returns, written by Christopher M. Walsh and directed by Elise Kauzlaric… This is Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street done with a feminist twist.” – Kathy D. Hey, Third Coast Review

“Walsh impressively creates more than a murder mystery. Although he has the traditional body, weapon, intellectual wit and obscure clues of a Sherlock whodunit, he goes deeper and broader. He masterfully weaves in the history of the time period into his tale… His strong feminist voice is apparent in his character choices, illustrations of gender inequity and commentary on male authority over women’s bodies.” – Katy Walsh, The Fourth Walsh

“Few forms of entertainment are more delicious than a well-crafted murder mystery, and ‘Miss Holmes Returns,’ Lifeline Theatre’s sequel to its 2016 ‘Miss Holmes,’ fits the bill quite well… It’s so entertaining that now I’m looking forward to what comes next.” – Anne Spiselman, Hyde Park Herald

“Lifeline at its best… Walsh’s work in 2016’s Miss Holmes was no simple gender swap and the political, economic, and social vulnerability of women is even more central to Miss Holmes Returns… In the hands of another writer, it’s easy to imagine these choices dragging the dialogue into something heavy-handed and scolding. Walsh does more than steer clear of this, though, as he skillfully weaves the themes together to convey how the personal is always political and vice versa.” – Christine M. Malcom, Talkin’ Broadway

“Through the years, many people have tried to adapt Holmes to different time periods and situations. But none that I have come across have done so as successfully as Christopher M. Walsh does in Miss Holmes Returns.” – Erik Bailey, Broadway World Boston

“Befitting our times and the world we live in, playwright Walsh consciously has woven threads of social justice into his plot… Walsh has a long series of tricks up his sleeve.” – Rich Fahey, On Boston Stages

“Intelligently written and highly entertaining.” – Scott Mullowney, Daily Times Chronicle

“A tour de force.” – Gail Lowe, Stage Whispers

Miss Holmes

“Cincinnati Theatre We Loved in 2019” – CItyBeat

“Christopher M. Walsh’s ‘Miss Holmes’ offers a cunning and highly enjoyable gender-bent take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s maddeningly brilliant detective… Walsh manages the tricky task of providing both old-school fan service and feminist insight… Walsh’s take suggests, with sympathy and wit, that being the world’s greatest detective is even harder when one is metaphorically doing it backward and in high heels.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune

“4 STARS… Miss Holmes offers much in the way of pleasure to theatergoers. It’s fun, it’s thoughtful, it’s compelling and empowering and unexpected. But of all the delights it grants audiences, there’s one that surpasses the rest: It leaves plenty of room for, and even demands, a sequel. If there’s any justice in the world, we’ll get one.” – Allison Shoemaker, Time Out Chicago

“Walsh has written a great detective story in the style of Conan Doyle, adding interest and enjoyment by changing the gender of the main characters. The social and political realities of the time and place allow him to double down on the feminist themes that he incorporates, giving the play more relevance in the present.” – Nancy Grossman, Broadway World Boston

“Walsh takes Miss Holmes seriously, unlike many of the men of the Victorian era, and the mystery he’s contrived for her to solve is as dangerous and opaque as anything the traditional male Holmes had to face. … Walsh’s insights about gender dynamics and institutionalized misogyny bubble up in hindsight for days after seeing the show.” – Kilian Melloy, WBUR’s The ARTery

“4 STARS… Walsh’s script carefully balances the need to establish the female characters’ place in the world with the particulars of the mystery, and he is able to connect the themes of sexist oppression with the case quite smoothly. Of course, this being a Sherlock Holmes story, the truth of the case is quite a bit more complicated than any easy, pat didactic. For the many fans of the great detective, Miss Holmes is a true delight—expanding and commenting upon the original, while adding its own twist.” – Jacob Davis, Around the Town Chicago

“‘Miss Holmes’ is a savagely accurate and yet comic wallow in the ugliness of the Victorian backlash against women and the gloriously indomitable courage of Victorian feminism. The play’s grasp of class issues and historical context is impeccable, its witty rebuttal to Doyle both grateful and corrective. I plan to go back to see it again as often as I can manage.” – Jennifer Stevenson, Book View Cafe Blog

“[Walsh’s] dialogue positively cackles with energy and delights in its commentary on Victorian England. … ‘Miss Holmes’ never overplays its feminist politics, preferring instead to slowly build how disadvantaged Holmes and Watson are as intelligent, independent women in a society that so clearly does not value such attributes.” – Peter Thomas Ricci, Chicago Theatre Review

“This wonderful romp of a mystery is fast-paced and will keep you guessing. Without giving anything away, I will say this much: the ending is incredibly satisfying and earns Miss Holmes a respected spot in the Sherlock Holmes canon.” – Keely Flynn, Lollygag Blog

“The playwright, Christopher M. Walsh, should particularly be commended. He has captured both Holmes and Watson’s characteristic ways of speaking and translated them to an entirely new mystery. One that is engaging and contains a twist or two and uses the fact that the main characters are now women to further the action and the plot. The gender-swap is not a bug, it’s a feature.” – Suzanne Magnuson, Splash Magazine

“Miss Holmes is a refreshing portrayal of the classic detective on Baker Street. … Walsh’s script is funny, suspenseful and ultimately moving.” – Scotty Zacher, Chicago Theater Beat

“CRITIC’S PICK… Christopher M. Walsh’s play offers comedy, drama and — the best part — an opportunity to elevate the many voices of women in the arts.” – Jenifer Moore, CityBeat

“Walsh’s detective story is smart, sophisticated and droll. … There is so much to love in MISS HOLMES that I want more! Encore! Series!” – Katy Walsh, The Fourth Walsh

A Tale of Two Cities

“Charles Dickens’s 1859 novel, set during the Reign of Terror that followed the 1789 French Revolution, comes to the stage in a taut, suspenseful adaptation that captures the romantic idealism, dark humor, and social outrage that drive this ripping good yarn.” – Albert Williams, Chicago Reader

“Christopher M. Walsh’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel — a saga of unexpected heroism during the French Revolution — is Lifeline Theatre latest page-to-stage triumph. … Coherent as it makes the sprawling story of a feckless lawyer’s ultimate sacrifice for the woman he loved but lost, this Tale of Two Cities also drives home Dickens’ sharply-detailed contrast of the best and worst of times.” – Lawrence Bommer, Stage and Cinema

“FOUR STARS… The second half successfully delivers plot pay-offs via character coincidences that tie together in one big Dickensian bow.” – Janet Arvia, Examiner.com

“This Tale is something to behold.” – Suzanne Scanlon, Time Out Chicago

“Christopher M. Walsh’s adaptation facilitates the multiple dimensions of his epic narrative through the introduction of a protean Everyman, dubbed ‘The Resurrection Man’ (euphemism for a ‘corpse-snatcher’), to play all of the commoners, and to act as our guide to the volatile world of coups d’état. His commentary allows Walsh to focus on the intrigue associated with a Parisian merchant family’s revenge upon the estranged Darnay’s aristocratic ancestors — a vendetta that will endanger him and those he loves, while exacting terrible risks in unexpected quarters.” – Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City Times

“A suspenseful and emotional journey to the past. A winning adaptation of this classic story… From the opening moments to the closing heart wrenching moments, it is pure Dickens; but with a swiftness and light. This classic should not be missed.” – Lazlo Collins, Chicago Theatre Review

“Adapter Christopher M. Walsh skillfully reduced Charles Dickens’ sprawling 1859 novel into a fine stage production.” – Tom Williams, Chicago Critic

The Count of Monte Cristo

“Stellar adaptation… A guilty theatrical pleasure you don’t have to atone for afterward. It’s zesty, good fun.” – Kerry Reid, Chicago Tribune

“For his adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s classic revenge tale, Lifeline ensemble member Christopher M. Walsh wisely intercuts the title character’s past with scenes from his present-day mission of vengeance. … By gradually revealing the transformation of naive sailor Edmond Dantès into the cunning Count of Monte Cristo, Walsh builds the suspense leading into the action-packed second act.” – Oliver Sava, Time Out Chicago

“A complex and concise masterpiece… Walsh successfully contains the multiple storylines within a solid framework. He boils each scenario down to its essence. Every word is utilitarian in the tight dialogue.” – Katy Walsh, Chicago Theater Beat

“Christopher M. Walsh’s premiere adaptation for Lifeline Theatre deftly packs a horde of information into a brief playing time to forge a coherent narrative line keeping us firmly grounded in the action.” – Mary Shen Barnidge, Windy City Times

The City and the City

“FOUR STARS… Several fans of the book have asked me with incredulity in recent weeks how it could possibly work onstage; the answer is, pretty impressively. … An enjoyable potboiler with a unique twist, The City & The City is a great place to visit.” – Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago

“While the narrative may seem confusing at first look, it comes together beautifully for a dramatic and satisfying climax. It might take an act to get used to the characters and concepts, but once you do, you’ll find yourself immersed in a tale that will satisfy both mystery and science fiction buffs.” – Samantha Nelson, Stage and Cinema

“Bringing this cross-hatched manhunt to the stage was initially the work of adapter Christopher M. Walsh, who has distilled — or perhaps the word is processed — Miéville’s novel with a sure sense of cohesion amid the froth of complexities and the punctuation of surprises. It’s fun just watching this ball of yarn play out.” – Lawrence B. Johnson, Chicago on the Aisle

Soon I Will Be Invincible

“”Nerdy good fun… I had a great time watching all these needy super whatnots act out their angst. … A very fun and fresh night.” – Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

“FOUR STARS… A summer treat not to be missed.” – Carole Moore, Around the Town Chicago

“SOON I WILL BE INVINCIBLE is invincible! I want to see it again!” – Katy Walsh, The Fourth Walsh

“Walsh demonstrates his grasp of voice, a deft hand with dialogue as exposition and the ability to poke fond, good-natured fun at some of the excesses and tropes of a beloved genre. … In some ways, Walsh’s adaptation surpasses the novel.” – Christine Malcom, Edge Chicago