Review: 'Sleuth' at Granite Theatre Crackles with Wit

The Granite Theatre's production of the classic thriller "Sleuth" is crackling, witty, and suspenseful from beginning to end.

Ken Ko plays Andrew Wyke, an erudite and morally suspect author of several successful mystery novels. Andrew invites the suave and sharply dressed Milo Tindle (Nick Perry) to his estate in the country. Milo, who owns a travel agency in London, announces his plan to marry Andrew's wife. But Andrew taunts Milo over his lowly financial status and makes him an offer: steal his wife's jewels so Andrew can collect on the insurance. Milo can sell the jewels and make 90,000 pounds – a small fortune.

Milo is initially hesitant to participate in a "scummy plot to defraud an insurance company." He has suspicions that Andrew might double-cross him, but the offer is too good to pass up, so eventually he goes along with the plan to break into the house and remove the jewels from a safe. One catch: Milo has to dress as a clown, complete with oversized shoes. Milo stumbles and falls to the floor, items are thrown around the room, a gun is taken out of a desk drawer, and then things get violent.

"Sleuth" features an endless series of twists. Andrew is a wily manipulator who loves to play games – "Crime is my specialty," he says with a wink and a smile – while Milo is the innocent caught up in the game... or maybe he's not so innocent after all...

Playwright Anthony Shaffer supplies plenty of clever dialogue for these two characters. Andrew is deeply disenchanted in his marriage and shares his cynicism: "Sex is the game, with marriage the penalty."
Andrew has a tendency to portray the police as idiots in his books, but comes to realize they are capable of being intelligent when an inspector visits him and asks some probing questions.

Anthony Caporale's direction is polished, and his imaginative set design (in collaboration with Ko) creates a heightened sense of the macabre. The guillotine and the scaffolding (complete with hangman's noose) are unsettling props in Andrew's mansion. I also liked the giant domino which doubles as a clothes container. (Andrew has a collection of outfits that would make Elton John green with envy.)

Ko and Perry are terrifically matched, and create complex characters who hide their insecurities and sociopathic tendencies behind charming smiles. (Andrew and Milo would make excellent political candidates in this day and age.) Their relationship is marked by trying to gain the edge over each other, and the tension between them explodes following a certain choice of words.

"Sleuth" will keep you on the edge of your seat as Andrew and Milo carry out their dangerous game. Of course, every game can only have one winner, but the question remains: How far would you be willing to go to win?

"Sleuth" runs through October 27 at Granite Theatre, 1 Granite St., Westerly, RI. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes including intermission. For tickets, call 401-596-2341 or visit granitetheatre.org.