Review: SLEUTH at Guthrie Theater

A highlight of enjoying any mystery is trying to figure out the endgame before you reach it to see if your powers of perception are good enough to beat the detective to the punch. Well, take that plan and throw it in the nearest garbage because Sleuth, the Guthrie’s newest production, is a mystery that will have you guessing until the final moment. Even then, you will be wrong.

When Milo Tindle visits detective writer Andrew Wyke at his English countryside home, the last thing he expects is for Andrew to propose they stage an elaborate jewelry burglary. Andrew’s endgame is a sizeable insurance payout for himself; Milo can use the jewels to financially support Andrew’s wife, Marguerite, with whom he’s been having an affair. The plan goes swimmingly at first, but as new revelations come to light, both men soon realize they’ve met their match. What follows is a heart-pounding, high-stakes game of cat and mouse where each man’s web of lies, bargains and misdirections leads to the ultimate checkmate. Let the game begin.

Using the synopsis from the Guthrie Theater’s own website is the only way I feel is fair to the audience to ensure that the plot stays as tight lipped as possible. There will be no spoilers within this review, and there may even be some misdirections sprinkled in on purpose, just to ensure there are no slip-ups.

There is no wonder why Sleuth took audiences by storm in 1970 and went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play in 1971. It is a sublimely crafted thriller that grabs hold of the audience and doesn’t let go for the entirety of the show.

From the moment we meet Andrew Wyke (Ramiz Monsef) we are immediately sure that this man holds himself in the highest esteem, perhaps to a fault. A legendary mystery author, Andrew is a lover of many sorts of games, especially inserting himself into them. Which is exactly what he does when his invited guest Milo Tindle (John Tufts) arrives.

Suggesting that he and Milo stage a robbery to make a large sum of money for each of them, they set out to stage the crime (to often hilarious affect). As these sorts of stories go, there is always a sense of foreboding fear of “what could go wrong”?

Director Kimberly Senior knows just what she is doing while staging this extremely large play yet that still feels intimate at times. She shows no fear in utilizing every nook and cranny of the Wyke estate’s main room (designed by the incredible Todd Rosenthal) to tell the story and keep the audience enthralled. Her use of using space between the actors only heightens the thrill that this piece has to offer. Whether placing them feet away or practically on top of each other, Senior uses space to elevate the tension between the characters throughout.

It certainly helps that she has a cast of actors that are up to the task. Ramiz Monsef and John Tufts are perfectly matched to one another: Monsef as the overzealous and somewhat daft writer and Tufts as the swoon-worthy new lover of Wyke’s wife. Their chemistry is so palpable, even when they are at extreme odds we want them to find some kind of common goal because they are both so likable in their own rights. It is a credit to the both of them because there is never a dull moment when the two of them are on stage.

That is not to say that the remainder of the cast is not as equally gifted. Stanley Rushton gives a dynamic performance as Inspector Doppler. From the second he walks on stage the audience is in stitches but also a tad worried for what he might uncover. Rushton may not have the biggest role in the piece but he uses every moment to take his slice of the pie.

Then there are the joyfully enigmatic Robin Mayfield and Liam McNulty as Detective Sergeant Tarrant and Police Constable Higgs respectably. Their way of almost hiding in the shadows and out of sight during the show is a master class in not only performance but once again a testament to Senior’s direction.

Not to mention that the entire show is lit to perfection by designer Anshuman Bhatia. Setting the mood within a piece is one thing. Bhatia takes that a step further and ensures that the audience isn’t just seeing what is happening but also feeling what these characters feel, whether that is childlike wonder, existential dread, or sheer elation.

While Sleuth is a mystery at its core, it has a message that we can all relate to: sometimes we are just looking for someone to see us and understand our intricacies and accept us for those quirks.