Review: 'Sleuth' at Village Theatre is rich with twists, turns and local talent

First produced in London in 1970, Anthony Shaffer's "Sleuth" has had a long history of revivals, thanks partly to its small cast, cozy set and timeless fascination with murder mysteries and plot twists.

The Village Theatre's playful new production, which is scheduled to run through February in Issaquah and much of March in Everett, benefits greatly from the expert work of two familiar local theater veterans.

David Pichette plays Andrew Wyke, a popular mystery writer who is particularly fond of turning parlor games into something more sinister. For most of the first act, it's Pichette's show, partly because Wyke has the best lines, but also because Pichette makes the most of Wyke's love of exaggerated accents and mocking impersonations. Only in the second act does he shift gears.

MJ Sieber plays Milo Tindle, who is invited to Wyke's country home for what seems to be a gentlemanly chat. But Tindle is having an affair with Wyke's wife, Tindle doesn't know that Wyke knows, and that gives Wyke the advantage.

Once that cat is out of the bag, Wyke offers a potential solution, both ridiculous and tempting. Money plays a large role. Tindle is broke, Wyke is rich and his faithless wife has grown accustomed to extravagance.

This allows for the cast list to expand and include Inspector Doppler, Detective Sergeant Tarrant and Police Constable Higgs. (The 1972 film version, directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, who also helmed "All About Eve," added one "Eve Channing" to the supporting lineup.)

That first movie version of "Sleuth" was in the running for several Oscars, including best actor, for which both Laurence Olivier (as Wyke) and Michael Caine (as Tindle) were nominated. Caine later played Wyke in a shockingly lousy 2007 remake that was extensively rewritten by Harold Pinter.

The Village production's director, Broadway veteran Martin Charnin, deserves to be thanked for rescuing "Sleuth" from that bad memory, but he does more than that. He gives the production a pace that steers your attention away from some of the more preposterous twists, and a visual style that expands on the themes of this particular story.

Working with scenic designer Martin Christoffel and properties master Roger Anderson, he's created a world of toys and games and tricks that at first seems very appealing. But the more the characters try to establish who's in control, the more it seems they've created a trap.

John Hartl: johnhartl@yahoo.com