Reviewed by Stephen Dubois

With the closing of the Royal George Theatre last season, I had fully expected the reopening of the Courthouse Theatre to be the same format it had been in the past:  Theater-in-the-Round much like the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a brand-new configuration of seating with not only a stage but also a gloriously decorated set of a Wiltshire manor.

As the brooding music perfectly set the mood, the light focused only on a portrait painting of a man and woman who we quickly learn is a well-known mystery author, Andrew Wyke, and his estranged wife, Marguerite, who never appears onstage but is central to the story.  As the rest of the set filled with light, the tapping of Andrew’s typewriter matched the meter of the music setting up one of many clever directorial choices throughout the revival of this 1970 thriller from the West End and Broadway by Anthony Shaffer.  After some establishing preamble, an invited guest arrives to the mansion…none other than the lover of Andrew’s wife, Milo Tindle.  What transpires then is a twisted game that culminates with a shocking Act 1 conclusion.  And Act 2 doesn’t disappoint either.  I wish to give away nothing in that regard.  The twists need to be experienced and not ruined for the sake of summarizing.  But I will say this:  the content of the Playbill is a master class of deception.  

It’s a verbose play with a lot of dialog handled expertly by Patrick Galligan (Andrew) and Sepehr Reybod (Milo). Some of the racist elements were perhaps egregious at times. We know Andrew is prone to racial slurs as this flaw of his character was established throughout.  A good litmus test is if something was removed from a play and it didn’t affect the story or our perceptions of a character is it really vital to keep?  Of course, The Shaw team is being true to the content of the original.    Peter Fernandes is perfectly suited for the direction of this play.  While often dark in subject matter 

Sleuth was balanced with a bevy of comedic elements both in the delivery of the lines and the physicality of the characters.  Fernandes is a master of comedic acting having starred in One Man Two Guvnors a couple seasons ago (and in One for the Pot this season.) I always believe that comedic actors and directors can direct serious works better than serious directors can ever do comedy.  The absurdities of this story needed that comic relief to be compelling and Fernandes instinctively knew when to go for the laugh or right for the jugular.  His pacing was brisk, focused and purposeful. 

As mentioned, the set was lavish and took full advantage of the intimate space. The stage came alive with an automatronic ventriloquist dummy who creepily laughed and rocked under the control of a button on Andrew’s desk as well as convincing, damage-inducing gun shots and even an explosive charge to blow up a safe.  Lighting effects and attention to detail throughout made this visually engaging.

While not a “whodunnit” in the traditional sense, the mystery element in this play lies in its journey: what is the final destination for these two obsessively determined leading characters?  And, more to the point, when it’s a battle of wits going all-in to plot the best and most sinister revenge, can there even be any winners?

Sleuth will be enjoying a long run through October 9, 2026 at the Courthouse Theatre in Niagara on the Lake.  While the theater space is up two flights of stairs there are elevators available and the entrance is on the right hand side of this historic building. Will Call is inside to the right of said entrance. The play runs about 2 hours, 15 minutes with one intermission.  

Sleuth