With his erratic personal grooming, partiality to mind-altering substances and tendency to indulge in improvisational violin playing at ungodly hours, Sherlock Holmes was always regarded as something of an eccentric.

So imagine the challenge posed to conventional Victorian society had Conan Doyle's great detective been a woman.

This is exactly what ED Darling did in her one-woman play The Lipstick Sherlock Holmes, which aired to acclaim at the Marlborough last year. And now she's written a follow-up, The Memoirs Of Charlotte Holmes, which gets its first outing tonight in a double bill which should please both Holmes buffs and fans of a little genderbending intrigue.

"The premise is that Sherlock Holmes was born a woman, both one step ahead of the law and one step ahead of society," explains Nicola Haydn, whose In A Space company has commandeered the plays.

"At six, when she was supposed to be sewing and playing with dolls, she was reciting the periodic table and experimenting with her chemistry set."

From Victorian nightgown to top hat and tails, the plays follow the journey of Charlotte Holmes as she transforms herself into the great detective, offering glimpses into the relationships with her brother, Mycroft, and Dr Watson, and her dealings with Scotland Yard and the notorious Napolena of Crime, Moriarty.

Varying between prose and verse, you can expect both a witty exploration of the intellectual limitations placed on 19th Century women and a unique celebration of the world's best-loved detective.

Starts at 7.15pm. Tickets cost £4 - £8, call 01273 709709
For details of all the theatre, comedy and live literature events on offer at the Marlborough Theatre this Fringe Festival, visit www.marlboroughtheatre.org