Reviewed by James Karas
The 2026 Shaw Festival is up and running without the beautiful Royal George Theater which is under construction. The old Court House Theater which has not been used for years is back in service with productions of Sleuth and Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense. A New Work In Progress is promised
Funny Girl, Amadeus and One For The Pot are playing at the Festival Theatre. The Wind in the Willows, Heartbreak House and Ohio State Murders play at the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre.
Anthony Shaffer’s Sleuth is probably one of the best thrillers ever written. It opened in 1970 and has been adapted for two films, most famously one with Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine in 1972.
The play is set in a manor house in Wiltshire, according to the program, the home of Andrew Wyke (Patrick Galligan) a cultured gentleman and a brilliant writer of murder mysteries. He has invited Milo Tindle (Sepehr Reybod), a man of Italian origin and much lower social standing, to his house to discuss his adulterous relationship with Mrs. Wyke. Wyke knows about the adultery and has no objection to Milo marrying his wife provided he can take care of her. Wyke is a gentleman and he worries about Tindle and his wife.
Milo may not have the financial wherewithal to do that so Wyke suggests that he rob Mrs. Wyke’s expensive jewelry, sell them and pocket a lot of money from it. The two begin planning the robbery with the expert Wyke doing most of the thinking. The plan seems failproof. The plot of the play proceeds from there and there are a few surprises. The main characters are Wyke and Tindle but there is also Inspector Doppler (Philip Mayfield), Detective Sergeant Tarrant (Liam McNulty) and Police Constable Higgs (Stanley Rushton). I praise the performances of the actors but you will have to see the play with its incredible twists and brilliant plot development to find out what is going on with the police characters. It is jaw-dropping and I am not about to disclose any more details.
Galligan gives a bravura performance as the
wily, polite, snobbish and devious Wyke describes himself as a sexual performer
of Olympic status. But he is generously willing to allow Tindle to marry his
wife. He is energetic, expressive and knowledgeable about murder and robbery. Wonderful
work by Galligan.
Tindle is no idiot but he is outsmarted and outclassed by Wyke. He is skeptical about the robbery but with Wyke’s brilliance and the help of whiskey he agrees to do it, but do not underestimate Tindle’s intelligence, perseverance and imagination. Reybod has a tough role and by the end of the play you will come to appreciate the brilliance of his performance and give him a standing ovation.
The set designed by Sim Suzer shows a very well-appointed living room with bookshelves, a fireplace and the usual coffee table and chairs. The costumes by Joyce Padua provides suits for the gentleman and a couple of other items of clothing as necessary.
Director Peter Fernandes maintains control of the action and the brisk speed of the play. He does not allow our attention to waiver.
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Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer continues in repertory until October 9, 2026, at the Court House Theatre as part of the Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. www.shawfest.com
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