SLEUTH Opens Shaw Festival Court House Theatre Season
Anthony Shaffer thriller begins previews in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
SLEUTH by Anthony Shaffer has begun previews at the Shaw Festival’s reopened and reconfigured Court House Theatre, marking the play’s debut at the festival. Directed by Peter Fernandes, the Tony and Edgar Award-winning thriller will run through October 9, 2026, with opening performances available for review beginning May 2.
The play centers on travel agent Milo Tindle (Sepehr Reybod), who arrives at the home of famed mystery writer Andrew Wyke (Patrick Galligan) intending to discuss his plan to marry Wyke’s estranged wife, Marguerite. Wyke agrees to the arrangement on one condition: Tindle must assist him in staging a robbery of Marguerite’s jewelry so that Wyke, recently bankrupt, can claim the insurance payout. What begins as a calculated scheme quickly spirals into a dangerous psychological duel marked by deception, shifting power, and escalating revenge.
Rounding out the cast are Philip Mayfield as Inspector Doppler, Liam McNulty as Detective Sergeant Tarrant, and Stanley Rushton as Police Constable Higgs.
Described as a love letter to the crime thriller genre, the production features set design by Sim Suzer, costume design by Joyce Padua, lighting design by Mikael Kangas, and sound design by John Gzowski. The production team also includes stage manager Allan Teichman and assistant stage manager Becca Jorgensen, with additional support from a broader creative and production staff.
SLEUTH runs approximately two hours and 15 minutes, including one intermission, and is recommended for audiences ages 13 and up.
The Shaw Festival’s 2026 season continues through December 23, with a lineup that includes Funny Girl, One for the Pot, Amadeus, Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense, The Wind in the Willows, Heartbreak House, and Ohio State Murders, as well as a holiday season featuring A Year with Frog and Toad and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Additional programming includes concerts, talks, and special events throughout the season.
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