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Sleuth: A Play (Playscript, 46)

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The middle aged Andrew Wyke, a successful author of English country house murder mysteries, is an obsessive player of games, games of deductive logic, inductive logic, semantics, mathematics, hypnosis, and prestidigitation. Milo Tindle, the young lover of Andrew's wife Marguerite, has cautiously accepted an invitation by Andrew to his house.

Anthony Shaffer's play Sleuth opened to rave reviews in London in February, 1970, with Anthony Quayle and Keith Baxter in the lead roles. In the film production by Palomar Pictures Production and Twentieth Century Fox the roles of Andrew Wyke and Milo Tindle were played by Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine.

Sleuth makes fascinating reading on several levels. The setting, an English country home, initially suggests a predictable English mystery. However, despite some elements of humor, the disguised rivalry between Wyke and Tindle gradually develops overtones of a psychological thriller. Like Tindle, the reader is uncertain whether Wyke is simply playing a game, or whether he has more serious intentions. Obsessive game playing and make believe appear to be metamorphosing into a dangerous reality, but who is the victim? The plot is highly unpredictable and it would be inappropriate to say more.

The dialogue is fast paced and witty. Sleuth is entertaining, suspenseful, and great fun.

The one extremely odd thing about this play was the fact that it was more of an entertainment than anything else, which is something that the old, stodgy theater would highly frown upon. Actually, though, it comes across as more of a breath of fresh air in a profession which is breathing its last in the public eye. The story twists and weaves almost too much to keep track of, but ostensibly this is the story of a young foreign gentleman in England who is visiting an older native. The older man has called him over to talk about a concern. The younger man (Milo)is getting married, and it turns out that the woman in question is the older man's ex-fiancee. What starts out as a polite inquiry into the Milo's finances suddenly turns ugly, as his elder intends to scare him. The two become embroiled in a psychological battle of scares and pranks up until the unexpected ending of the play. The key words here are Reversal of Expectation, taken almost to ludicrous extremes but always clear and understandable. The dialogue is quick, clever, and entertaining, and the characters are memorable. Best of all, this play can be performed easily on a budget and with a limited cast and crew; the script is that undemanding. The only thing you should consider bringing to the table here is an experienced director and two very talented actors.

For my money, playwriting is probably the most difficult writing there is.

Unlike a book, you don't have the luxury of being able to use a lot of words or a lot of time and yet somehow in the scant pages allowed to you, you're expected to:

1) Introduce the characters

2) Introduce the story

3) Move both along consistently and

4) Bring about a satisfying ending while providing entertaining dialogue with no wasted scenes.

It's a huge order and yet Anthony Shaffer delivers. In this story we meet Andrew Wyke a stodgy Britisher who's wife is having an affair with the other character, Milo. Unlike Wyke Milo is young and verile. He's dashing and bigger than life but shorter on brains.

Or is it that we only think he's shorter on brains.

As Shaffer develops the story he naturally develops the plot and his characters in a way that we find both satisfying and believable.

It's wicked fun and well worth reading or seeing.

As always, my orders with Amazon and it's associated group of retail participants went flawlessly. The product arrived as promised and in perfect condition.Sleuth: A Play (Playscript, 46)