STAGE
1
Sherlock Holmes:
Two Plays
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Introduction
This ungraded summary is for the teacher’s use only
and should not be given to students.
The stories
The Red-Headed League
Jabez Wilson is a red-headed man who runs a small
clock shop in London. He comes to see Holmes one
day and describes a strange series of events.
Three months previously Wilson advertised for
an assistant and he decided to employ a man called
Vincent Spaulding because he was happy to work for
Watson are visited by a lecturer who works at a local
half wages. Wilson allowed Spaulding to go down into
college. The lecturer, Hilton Soames, explains that on
the shop basement to develop his own photographs.
the following day there will be a university examination
One day, Spaulding showed Wilson a newspaper
advertisement
from
‘The
Red-Headed
and an unknown student has tried to cheat by reading
League’.
the exam papers in advance.
Spaulding explained that this organization was started
Earlier that afternoon, Soames received the exam
by a rich red-headed gentleman who gave the League
papers at his university rooms. He went out for an
a lot of money to find work for red-headed men. The
hour at 4.30 pm and returned to find a key in his door.
advertisement offered an easy, well-paid job to a man
He realized that it belonged to his honest servant,
with red hair.
Bannister, who had left it there by mistake.
Spaulding persuaded Wilson to attend an interview
When Soames went into his living room the exam
for the job at an office nearby. Wilson was interviewed
papers had been moved. Soames noticed pieces of
there by a red-headed man called Duncan Ross who
pencil on a table and some black mud on the floor. He
offered him an easy job. All he needed to do was to
also noticed that Bannister felt ill when questioned
copy information out of a book everyday at the office
about the papers and sat down near the window.
between ten and two o’clock.
After listening to the story, Holmes carries out
Wilson started the job and received four pounds
a careful examination of Soames’s college rooms.
a week from Ross. However, one Saturday Wilson
Holmes then questions three students who are
found the office door locked with a sign saying ‘The
suspected of the crime. They are: the hard-working
Red-Headed League is finished’.
Gilchrist, who is the son of a rich man called Sir Jabez
After hearing Wilson’s description of the above
Gilchrist, the quiet Indian, Daulat Ras, and the lazy
events, Holmes seems to understand that something
Miles McLaren.
terrible is about to happen and he rushes out with
At the end Holmes declares that Gilchrist read the
Watson to investigate.
exam papers. Holmes had found a range of evidence
Holmes works out that Spaulding is in fact, John
to support his case, including the fact that Gilchrist left
Clay, a famous bank robber who plans to steal gold
pieces of his distinctive pencil behind, as well as mud
from a bank behind Wilson’s shop that evening. Clay
from his running shoes.
(Spaulding) tricked Wilson into taking the ‘Red-Headed
Holmes also reveals that Bannister tried to cover
League’ job so that he would leave the shop everyday.
up for Gilchrist because he had once worked for
This allowed Clay to dig a tunnel from the basement of
Gilchrist’s father. When Bannister was called back to
the shop to the bank.
the room by Soames that afternoon, he saw Gilchrist’s
Holmes and Watson go to the bank that evening
watch on the chair, realized he had read the papers
and catch Clay in the act of trying to rob the bank.
and sat down on the watch to stop Soames from
seeing it.
The Three Students
Gilchrist finally says that he will leave the university
While on a trip to a university town Holmes and
and not take the exam.
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Sherlock Holmes: Two Plays
STAGE
1
Pre-reading activity
Word search
Find the words below in the two word searches. Use the glossary at the back of Sherlock
Holmes: Two Plays to help you with the meanings.
bank, catch, cellar, college, copy, curtain, exam paper, gold, hide, job, key, newspaper, pencil, red
hair, servant, shoes, shop, student, thief, tunnel
The Red-headed League
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The Three Students
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To the teacher
Aim: To introduce key vocabulary and encourage
feedback. Encourage students to look at the relevant
prediction
illustrations and guess what happens in the story
Time: 25 minutes
using some of the key words.
Organization: Give out students a copy of the word
Key: The Red-Headed League: job, tunnel,
searches. Put students in pairs to find as many of the
newspaper, shop, red hair, thief, bank, catch, gold,
words as possible in ten minutes. Put students into
cellar. The Three Students: student, college, servant,
small groups to share answers. Then conduct class
exam paper, copy, pencil, shoes, curtain, hide, key.
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130
STAGE
1
Sherlock Holmes: Two Plays
While reading activity
What’s going to happen next?
The Red-Headed League
Which of these things do you think will happen in Scene 6?
WILL
MAY
WON’T YOUR OWN
HAPPEN HAPPEN HAPPEN COMMENTS
John Clay takes gold from a bank and then
escapes from Holmes and Jones.
John Clay tries to take gold from a bank but
Holmes and Jones stop him.
Holmes has a long fight with John Clay.
Dr Watson kills John Clay with his gun.
We learn that Vincent Spaulding and John Clay
are the same person.
The Three Students
Which of these things do you think will happen in Scene 8?
WILL
MAY
WON’T YOUR OWN
HAPPEN HAPPEN HAPPEN COMMENTS
Bannister jumps out of the window of Soames’s
room.
All three students run away from the college.
Holmes speaks to Gilchrist again. Gilchrist says
he read the exam papers.
Holmes speaks to Daulat Ras again. Daulat Ras
says he copied the exam papers.
Holmes speaks to Bannister again. Bannister says
he helped the guilty student that afternoon.
To the teacher
Where: Red-Headed League: at the end of Scene 5.
decide what will happen in the next scene. Conduct
The Three Students: at the end of Scene 7.
feedback on their ideas as a class and encourage
Aim: To encourage students to predict the
them to justify their opinions. It is not important
development of the play
whether their predictions are correct or not. It may
Time: 20 minutes
be interesting for students to keep their worksheets
Organization: Give one copy of the worksheet to
and see whether or not their predictions were
each student or each group of students. Go through
correct.
any unknown vocabulary. Ask them to discuss and
131
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STAGE
1
Sherlock Holmes: Two Plays
After reading activity
Who said what, to whom and what about?
THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE
WHO?
TO WHOM?
WHAT
ABOUT?
WHO?
TO WHOM?
WHAT
ABOUT?
1 ‘It is interesting for you … because you
have red hair.’
2 ‘You must work here, in the office, all the
time. That is very important.
3 ‘But today I went to the office at ten
o’clock, and the door was locked.’
4 ‘When did he begin to work for you?’
5 ‘It’s all in these boxes. Lots and lots of it!’
THE THREE STUDENTS
1 ‘They were on my writing table.’
2 ‘This is a most interesting doorway, and I
want to draw it.’
3 ‘Go away! I’m busy! I can’t see anybody!’
4 ‘No … sir! I never said anything!’
5 ‘Early this morning I began to write to
you …’
To the teacher
stress on certain words.
Aim: To recap key events in the plays
Time: 25 minutes
Key: Red-Headed League: 1 Spaulding to Wilson
Organization: Give students out a copy of the
about the advertisement for the Red-Headed League;
relevant grid for the play they have studied. Ask
2 Duncan Ross to Wilson about the new job;
them to work in pairs and identify who said these
3 Wilson to Holmes about the end of his job;
words and who to. Encourage them also to consider
4 Holmes to Wilson about Spaulding; 5 Merryweather
what the different statements are about and how
to Watson (and others) about the gold. Three
they fit into the storyline of the play. When the
students: 1 Soames to Holmes about the exam
students have finished, go through the answers as a
papers; 2 Holmes to Gilchrist about the door to his
class. Generate discussion about how the different
room (to get a pencil); 3 McLaren to Holmes, Watson
quotations fit into the storyline.
and Soames about coming into his student room; 4
Encourage students to identify how the sentences
Bannister to Gilchrist about the exam papers;
might have been said e.g. loudly, quietly or with the
5 Gilchrist to Soames about leaving the university.
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