Sherlock takes to Edinburgh alleys to solve murder

By Paul Majendie

EDINBURGH (Reuters Life!) - To the bemusement of bewildered passers-by, Sherlock Holmes strides along the ancient streets of Edinburgh hunting for a murderer.

And the famous detective in the deerstalker hat has quite a following -- 50 avid fans of "walking theatre" trying with Holmes to find the killer of Old Man McCarthy.

Come rain or shine, sleuths and suspects prowl the cobbled streets with their devoted followers at the Edinburgh Fringe, the world's largest arts festival.

The Fringe delights in quirky venues and offbeat shows and "Sherlock Holmes: Murder in the Garden" scores top points on both scores as the audience follows the players around the Scottish capital.

It is all great fun with the crowd reveling in the surreal locations that range from a Mexican restaurant to an Edinburgh park, scene of the grisly murder.

Children sunning themselves in the park gape in astonishment at the body lying prone in the grass with a bloodied rock beside it.

The perambulating players are the brainchild of Ginger Perkins, a vivacious Californian who is Artistic Director of Frantic Redhead Productions and a 25-year veteran of the Edinburgh Fringe.

She delights in showing visitors corners of Edinburgh they might never have stumbled on by themselves.