Sleuth

Review by: Paul Towers, 06 February 2017

Sleuth by Anthony Shaffer

Leicester Drama Society production, directed by Edward Spence

The Little Theatre 6 – 11 February 2017

“duplicity and psychological manipulation”

Sleuth is Anthony Shaffer’s satire on Agatha Christie country house murder mysteries, a psychological thriller laced with black humour.

In the very capable hands of  the cast of Kenton Hall and Jaz Cox, director Edward Spence plays numerous mind games with the audience right up to the interval curtain. Then, suitably lubricated, the audience has the duplicity and psychological manipulation ramped up even higher by Shaffer’s masterpiece of  misdirection.

On a typically versatile set of a country house lounge and mezzanine our cast bounce around as first Hall and then Cox wind each other, and the audience, up with alacrity until none of us knew what was real and what wasn’t.

The first half is crammed full of theatrics and special effects while the second half really twists the knife of suspense.

Both of the cast members are very obviously professionally trained and bring an energy to this amateur production that is palpable from the back of the stalls.

Tickets are still available at www.thelittletheatre.net

First published on Western Gazette