Andrew is a very eloquent, clever and famous mystery writer who likes to play games. He invites his wife’s lover, Milo, to his Wiltshire manor house and convinces him to stage a robbery of his wife’s jewellery. This proposal sets off a chain of events that leaves the audience trying to decipher where Andrew’s imagination ends and reality begins. With so many plot twists you’ll be left guessing, but who wins the end game and at what cost…?
Set in his impressive 2 storey manor house, Andrew’s home reflects his obsession with the inventions and deceptions of fiction and his fascination with games and game-playing. Andrew uses an extensive vocabulary, which is a credit to actor Todd Boyce purely for the sheer amount of lines he must remember.
Andrew (Todd Boyce, Coronation Street) plays his character convincingly, but he is up against the equally convincing Milo (Neil McDermott, EastEnders) in a battle of wits, intelligence and cunning which will keep your attention right up until the end.
Sleuth is clearly one of the greatest ever stage thrillers and played for a total of 12 years in both London and New York. Winning the Tony Award for Best Play, it also became the inspiration for the hugely successful film starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Cain.
In the centre of Dartford, the Orchard West theatre, although a temporary structure, is pretty impressive, especially as it was constructed in a relatively short period of time. It has a full bar, excellent toilet facilities and the staff are friendly and helpful.
Sleuth runs at the Orchard West until Saturday 11th May, you can book tickets here:
https://trafalgartickets.com/orchard-theatre-dartford/en-GB/event/play/sleuth-tickets
Review by Paul Williams, for Dartford Living
