A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Sleuth

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  2m

Anthony Shaffer

Two men play out a deadly game of cat and mouse in Anthony Shaffer's celebrated suspense thriller, later adapted into the Oscar-nominated 1972 film starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine.

Sleuth

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Mystery/Thriller
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 1971 Tony Award for Best Play

Details

Summary
The ultimate game of cat and mouse is played out in a cozy English country house owned by celebrated mystery writer, Andrew Wyke. Invited guest Milo Tindle, a young rival who shares Wyke's love for games, declares his intention to run off with Wyke's wife. The two men devise an elaborate revenge/power game; through their style and cunning, the stakes continue to rise, leading to the play's inexorable, heart-stopping finish.
History
Sleuth premiered on Broadway at The Music Box Theatre on November 12, 1970. Directed by Clifford William, the production featured Keith Baxter and Anthony Quayle. The 1972 film adaptation, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine, earned four Academy Award nominations. In 2007, a second film adaptation, directed by Kenneth Branagh, starred Michael Caine and Jude Law, with Caine taking on the role previously played by Olivier.
Keywords
Performing Groups
ANDREW WYKE
MILO TINDLE
INSPECTOR DOPPLER
DETECTIVE SERGEANT TARRANT
POLICE CONSTABLE HIGGS
  • Time Period Contemporary, 1970s
  • Setting Andrew Wyke's country home in Wiltshire. A summer evening.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Ingenious skulduggery replete with skillful suspense and inventive tricks.” – The New York Post
“Clever, intricate... It is good, neat, clean and bloody fun, and I most cordially recommend it.” – The New York Times

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

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Authors

Anthony Shaffer

Anthony Shaffer

Anthony Joshua Shaffer (1926-2001) was born in Liverpool, the elder (by five minutes!) of twins in 1926. Later on, the boys, Anthony and Peter, were taken by their mother regularly to the Liverpool Playhouse, where Anthony developed a taste for the thriller, the melodrama and ...

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