It is 1896. Barnaby Gibbs, incurable optimist and Sherlock Holmes fan, is checking on a friend’s empty house when he finds a man in the bedroom, dressed entirely in black, holding a bag full of stolen belongings, and trying to write a poem about sapphires. There is only one conclusion a reasonable man could come to: this is the notorious cat-burglar and con-man known as the Rhyming Bandit!

Fortunately, Gibbs is not a reasonable man, and when the stranger tells him that he is actually the famous detective Antoine Feval, a new crime-fighting duo is born.

Get out your magnifying glass because on Saturday, Jan. 26 you are in for a comedic crime caper treat as actor-writer Chris Gibbs mounts the Rene M. Caisse Memorial Theatre stage and performs as Barnaby Gibbs, a witless and self-deprecating character (a “dumbed”-down version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Dr. Watson). This one-man send-up of the Sherlock Holmes genre has had audiences in stitches for years. With superb playwriting, a gift for silly, bang-on comedic timing and consistently hilarious slapstick, this show will be sure to entertain.

Gibbs is a stand-up comedian, improviser, writer and actor based in Toronto. Born in the U.K., he started working as a street performer in London’s Covent Garden in 1991. A year later he co-founded the theatre group HOOPAL, whose innovative physical comedy shows toured through Europe, Australia, New Zealand and best of all, Canada.

Gibbs moved to Canada permanently in the summer of 2002, immediately touring with his one-man stand-up show, Gibberish. The following year he co-wrote his second one-man show, a mock motivational seminar called The Power of Ignorance , with TJ Dawe.

In 2005, Gibbs moved further away from straight stand-up and Antoine Feval, a one-man play telling the story of Victorian England’s most overlooked detective, was born. This show has won Best of the Fest at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival and was held over at the Edmonton Fringe.

Aside from producing his own theatre shows, Gibbs has found time to branch out into film work, including the lead role in the Canadian feature Run Robot Run. Gibbs has also co-written The Power Of Ignorance: 14 Steps To Using Your Ignorance, a self-help spoof based on the show, which was published in 2006.

For recent show reviews or more information on the show and actor, see www.chrisgibbs.ca.

Join the audience Saturday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24. Call the box office at 645-8400 to reserve your seats today.