The Red Circle is Sherlock's home in Washington DC. Now in our eighth decade, we continue to celebrate his immortality and enjoy each other's company. All are welcome to join us and share our interest in all things Sherlockian and Doylean.
Welcome
The Red Circle is Sherlock's home in Washington DC. Now in our eighth decade, we continue to celebrate his immortality and enjoy each other's company. All are welcome to join us and share our interest in all things Sherlockian and Doylean.
Next Meeting
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Red Circle Luncheon Meeting
Speaker: Matt Hall
Venue to be announced
Save the Date ** Watch This Space
Archives
All times US prevailing Eastern
2025
- December 12 - 21 A Sherlock Carol presented by the Providence Players of Fairfax at the James Lee Community Center Theatre in Falls Church. When a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Holmes to investigate the death of Scrooge, the Great Detective must use his gifts to solve a Dickens of a Christmas mystery! Times and tickets here.
2026
- January 7 - 11 Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend The longest celebration of the Sherlockian year will invade New York City for another wintertime frolic. Information about the individual events and other doings will be available in due course.
- January 25 The Hound of the Baskervilles George Mason University, Hylton Performing Arts Center, 4:00pm. One performance only by the Aquila Theatre Company of New York. SPECIAL NOTE: The producers have invited us all to a talk-back with the cast one hour before the performance at 3:00pm. Information and Tickets here.
- March 14 Red Circle Luncheon Meeting Our speaker will be Matt Hall. Location to be determined. Watch this space.
- April 23 - May 17 Miss Holmes Returns to the Fells Point Corner Theatre in Baltimore. Holmes and Watson return for an encore as Victorian women in Christopher Walsh's gender-bending take on our heroes. Information and tickets here.
- June 12 - 29 The Reluctant Resurrection of Sherlock Holmes by D. M. Belke at the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg. Information and tickets here.
- October 23 - 24 It's Always 1895: An Exploration of the Life and Work of Vincent Starrett The Torists International of Chicago will host what promises to be an important conference centered around one of history's most illustrious Sherlockians. Plan ahead to make your way to the Windy City and get on their mailing list here.
For a much more comprehensive list of Sherlockian meetings and events around the United States and beyond, see Ron Fish's
Sherlockian Calendar.
The Slavering Hound by Frederick Dorr Steele is an unpublished drawing for the 1939 Basil Rathbone Hound of the Baskervilles film. It was shown in the program for the film and featured in the 1951 Festival of Britain exhibition
Red Circle 75th Anniversary Party in the books; acclaimed a smashing success November 15 was a red letter day for the Red Circle, as we celebrated our 75th with a spectacular screening of three century-old and brilliantly restored Eille Norwood films at the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre, and an equally spectacular celebration dinner after the curtain came down. We'll have Carla Coupe's full details on the event posted here soon, along with many photos. To read a classic Strand Magazine article about Eille Norwood's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, click here.
To see a short documentary on the restoration of the Norwood films, click here.
A Deep Dive into our Namesake Story Alexander E. Braun regularly posts expansive looks at Canonical stories at the Hounds of the Internet. He's given the OK to repost his 2025 take on "The Adventure of the Red Circle" here for all of us to see. It's fascinating. Take a look.
The Red Circle enjoyed a late summer luncheon meeting, featuring Cattleya Concepcion as our guest speaker. Carla Kaessinger Coupe's meeting notes document the details of this enjoyable afternoon.Videos of three more Red Circle meetings now available We’ve added three videos to our growing collection, and we’re pleased to invite you to screen them. Ira Brad Matetsky's June 25 talk on "Sherlock Holmes and Washington" is available here; Burt Wolder’s June 2024 talk on “Arthur Conan Doyle: Adventurous Life, Enduring Memories,” is available here; and Olivia Rutigliano’s March 2025 reflections “On Charles Dickens’s Magician-Detectives” is available here. Thanks to Matt Hall for making the recordings and to Kyle Brimacombe for his post-production work. While you’re at it, click on the “Writings + Videos” tab in the Archives box above for links to all 19 Red Circle videos available for you to watch.
Author! Author! It was a grand day out for the Red Circle at Arena Stage on December 14, where we enjoyed a performance of Agatha Christie's iconic Death on the Nile, adapted for the stage by our Sherlockian friend Ken Ludwig. After the curtain calls, Ken joined Peter Blau on the stage of this world premiere production to take some questions from the Red Circle passengers who came along for the cruise. Read Carla Coupe's Meeting Notes here. 12/16/24 AR
Scuttlebutt: One Fixed Point in a Changing Age Our own Peter E. Blau's monthly Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press has endured for more than 50 years, and has a permanent home right here on our website. It's the most remarkable collection of Sherlockian news and notes anywhere, and your webmaster recommends a monthly visit. The very latest edition is available now, as are past numbers. It's just a click away--use the "Scuttlebutt" button at the top of the page.
- Be an Inner Circle Contributor We welcome submissions from all quarters for this page. Please direct materials to the webmaster, alan@redcircledc.org
- For earlier, archived items from The Inner Circle, click here.
