Alliance Theatre Reviewers Blog

Sleuth- By Shana Basnight

You may trick me once but I will trick you twice. In Sleuth, a classic whodunit play, written by Anthony Shaffer and directed by Kent Gash, who will have the last laugh? The story begins with Andrew, an accomplished mystery writer, inviting Milo, his wife's young robust lover, to his house for what seems like an innocent meeting. They plan to discuss the future between Milo and Andrew's ex wife. Can Milo afford to take care of her? This meeting sets the course for the rest of the play that will be an exciting roller coaster ride of deception, imagination, and revenge. I guarantee this play is an absolute treat that you do not want to miss.

David de Vries (Andrew) and Carl Cofield (Milo) both strive to deliver an energetic performance in Sleuth. However "game-set-match" goes to David de Vries. From the onset of the play, David truly conveys his lines with a certain energy and enthusiasm that will keep audience members engaged and intrigued throughout the play. David is funny. He will captivate you with his passionate, witty speech, and he will make this a performance that you will not want to forget.

The only disappointing part of the play is when Andrew convinces Milo to stage a robbery at his house.The first question you naturally ask yourself is how could Milo be so naive? Shortly thereafter, the audience is invited to take a peek inside of Andrew's costume chest to find a suitable uniform for Milo to commit the crime. Inside the chest, we find sheer disappointment. Some of the costume choices include a gorilla face, a Ku Klux Klan hat and mask, a jail uniform, before Milo eventually selects the clown outfit. The racial undertones, although possibly intended to be a comical detail, were unnecessary and a bit discomforting. Andrew's treasure chest could have been easily filled with other wardrobe options without sacrificing the integrity of the play.

Final Thoughts: Go See Sleuth. You will fall in love with the intricately designed set. You will become captivated by Andrew's obsession with games and you will wonder when he is taking it too far. You will enjoy the acting, particularly David de Vries. Simply put, Sleuth has the right combination of mystery, drama, and humor to make this a wonderful performance.

"Sleuth"by Wendell Barnes

I confess to having read/seen the script/play/movie of this delightful mystery before, and perhaps it is a concession to age that I honestly don’t remember all of the twists in Anthony Shaffer’s witty and intricate plot. Although a few of them were predictable, and probably were a result of a tidbit drawn from the recesses of my failing memory, I still had some surprises. But from the moment when Edward E. Haynes, Jr.’s eclectic and complex set slid forward to greet the audience, I was hooked on enjoying the play once again. The audience reciprocated the greeting from the set with applause not only at the start, but again at the beginning of Act II! I spent a lot of time finding new treasures to discover in the beautiful drawing room of Andrew Wyke’s home. The set decoration and properties staff are to be commended for their attention to detail, almost making the set become another character in the play. Especially noteworthy were the games and magic tricks that were a part of the plot. The entire cast was outstanding, especially evident in the characterization of Inspector Doppler, whose accent and rolled “R”’s added a bit of whimsy to the thriller. David de Vries as Andrew was a study in contrasts—his was a magnificent, delicately shaded performance that kept the audience guessing right up to the end. Carl Cofield as Milo started out with more subtlety, but gained momentum as his character progressed. Kent Gash’s masterful direction kept the plot moving with speed and precision, with the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the production. I encourage you to witness this near perfect production of “Sleuth”—even if you have seen it before. There are so many surprises at every turn that you will probably be like me and not remember every plot twist. And I do think that it takes more than one exposure to appreciate Shaffer’s crisp dialogue. I see and hear something new every time I experience “Sleuth,” and I know you will too. The Alliance has added another jewel to its crown of outstanding productions of classic plays with this best of all mysteries. Bravo! You deserve a standing ovation every night just like the one the audience gave you on opening night!

Sleuth - Review by Jada Genter

     Simply put, the Alliance Theatre’s production of “Sleuth” was beautiful. In an almost-perfect combination of skilled playwrighting, acting, directing and designing, the artisans involved in the production constructed a beautiful world in which the audience was able and willing to lose themselves for an evening.

     The set was fantastic, earning an ovation of its own upon its initial (hydraulically-aided) appearance. Done in a very realistic style, the depth and textures, nooks and crannies, and overall intricacy of the set’s appointments reflected the fully realized nature of the characters inhabiting it. Honestly, I wanted to climb onto the stage and do some exploring. I must also mention the lighting—so subtle, yet so carefully and thoughtfully done. “Sleuth” had the ideal combination of set and lighting.

     David deVries’ performance as Andrew was amazing. His accent was one of the best I have ever witnessed on the stage. His physical commitment molded the lonely writer into a fascinating character study, whereas I could easily imagine Andrew coming across as a caricature in less-accomplished hands. DeVries’ interplay with Carl Cofield’s Milo was fascinating to watch, particularly in comparing the first act to the second. Hats off in particular to Cofield for selling his character’s complexity—not an easy task.

     This brings me to my biggest complaint about the production, that being Carl Cofield’s accent, which came in and out through the play. At first I thought it was a character choice in that Milo was raised lower class but was trying to pass as higher, but was it? By the end of the second act, after hints of American intonation had cropped up, I was less certain. That being said, this did not distract me so much that I was unable to appreciate the nuanced acting of both men.

     I must compliment director Kent Gash’s powerful staging. The set’s stairs, steps, depth and levels were all used as the canvas on which to place characters in such ways as to highlight their changing positions of power. His actors had physical as well as emotional rapport, and their movements seemed character driven. Collaboration between the director and his design team was also seen by things as subtle as the side placement of the never-seen Marguerite’s picture, reinforcing the concept that the actual meeting of the two men, and not the reason behind it, was the focus of the play.

     Simply put, beautiful.

Sleuth - Maria Surprise

Sleuth is the Alliance theater’s first dramatic play of the season, and it appears to have all the right ingredients—writer Anthony Shaffer’s razor-sharp wit, Edward E. Haynes, Jr.’s inspired set design, more than competent acting by the two leads, David de Vries and Carl Cofield, all mixed together lovingly by award-winning director Kent Gash.  Sleuth is a fine mystery thriller, filled with unexpected twists and turns that alternately astonish and delight. Revenge is a dish best served cold, but even though the chemistry between de Vries and Cofield can be hit or miss, Sleuth simmers along nicely through both acts.

Make a dinner reservation at one of Midtown’s nearby restaurants (the theater menu at Park 75 is wonderful), and you have a successful recipe for a nice evening out on the town in Atlanta.

Slither On Down by Amy Lighthill

 

A witty, hairpin-turn plot, stately-manor set done to a turn, and lively duet acting: what could be bad?

 

If you are in the mood for English drawing-room a-HA suspense, you’ll enjoy “Sleuth”. Anthony Shaffer’s l970 play offers humor, cleverness, and suspense, all wrapped up in a jolly-good, life-and-death battle of wits.

 

So I wonder why I felt cold and empty at the curtain call.

 

I don’t think it was director Kent Gash’s fault. He relied on the prodigious intellectual aspect of the enmity of the two men to carry the play’s tension, adding a fillip of racism to the mix. Casting an African-American actor in one of the two roles added a new dimension from the original cast and film versions, but for me it did not add depth. I think the problem lies in the original script itself.

 

Anthony Shaffer, the British author of “Sleuth”, had the karmic misfortune to be born the twin brother of the more talented and successful playwright Peter, he of “Equus” (l973) and “Amadeus” (l979). The most compelling aspect in the conflict of the two main characters in “Sleuth” lies in their competition. Though they initially seem like two extremely different kinds of men, they are revealed, through their intense struggle with each other through a vicious kind of “game”, to be psychological blood brothers. Neither is truly capable of love, since both are on fire to beat, if not destroy, the other. In the end, nobody wins (as my mother used to admonish me, squabbling with my sister: “This game will end in tears!”)

 

Fascinatingly, his twin Peter’s greatest work, “Amadeus”, also centers on the theme of to-the-death male rivalry.  However, it deftly reveals the pathos of a man who recognizes and reveres the superior genius of the other, but cannot stop himself from plotting to vanquish and ruin that ethereal talent nonetheless. “Sleuth” doesn’t come close to the kind of revelations about the depths and heights of the human spirit we experience watching the Solieri/Mozart battle. Still, if  your supply of  coldblooded tales of vengeance is running low these days, go. Watch “Sleuth”. Get it out of your system.

Alliance Stage -- The greatest theatrical whodunit ever written!

Our five Alliance Theatre Reviewers will see Sleuth on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.  Come back to see what they had to say about this Broadway hit thriller.