The wide world of Sherlock Holmes

In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories, Dr Watson drops tantalising hints about other cases of the great detective. Here we attempt to reconstruct two of these unpublished exploits.

In "The Long Man", while Holmes investigates an insurance fraud a brilliant police detective pursues a Macedonian gun-runner. Then an inoffensive archaeologist is murdered... Rafe McGregor's story is dramatised by M J Elliott.

"The Grace Chalice" tells how Sherlock Holmes solves the mysterious theft of a priceless mediaeval cup. Roger Johnson has adapted his own story.

JIM CROZIER and DAVE HAWKES return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, with JESSE POWIS, M J ELLIOTT, VINCE WEBB, MARK PRESTON, BRIAN ADRIAN and DANNY SEGETH.

The plays were recorded by David Booth and John Rhodes at Pig Pen Studio for Hosiprog Productions. The producer was Roger Johnson.

"The Long Man" is copyright © 2011 by Rafe McGregor & M J Elliott. "The Grace Chalice" is copyright © 2011 by Roger Johnson. The recorded production is copyright © 2011 by the Old Court Radio Theatre Company.

While rewriting Conan Doyle's script, the American actor William Gillette famously asked, "May I marry Holmes?" The author replied, "You may marry or murder, or do what you like with him!" The resulting play was first staged in 1899 and has lasted for more than a century. Gillette himself recorded an abridged version in 1935, for the Lux Radio Theater. Three years later Orson Welles adapted the play as an hour-long drama for the Mercury Theater on the Air, in which he took the leading role, giving a remarkable impersonation of Gillette.

The play wasn't heard on British radio until 1953, when the classic partnership of Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley took the roles of Holmes and Watson in an adaptation by Raymond Raikes, with Frederick Valk as Professor Moriarty. Although two good audio productions were made in California in recent years, each with a distinguished British actor in the lead Ð Martin Jarvis and David Warner - the play hasn't been heard on British radio since the 1950s.

In the Old Court Radio Theatre Company's new adaptation, JIM CROZIER and DAVE HAWKES return as Holmes and Watson - roles that they have made very much their own - with CYRIL BAGSHAW as Professor Moriarty. The supporting cast comprises; BETH WALTERS, SIMON THOMAS, KATHERINE TOKLEY, MARK PRESTON, VINCE WEBB, LINDSAY LLOYD, IVOR JEVONS, JESSE POWIS, M J ELLIOTT and BRIAN ADRIAN.