One is accustomed to withholding certain details, as well as the climax, when writing about a thriller, but in the case of Anthony Shaffer's “Sleuth," at the St Martin's, one must be very careful indeed, and in a sense say practically nothing about the development of the story and its ramifications. But one can, with enthusiasm say that “Sleuth" is an extremely clever, unusual entertaining play, in the front rank of its kind, much of it of a similar in quality to Patrick Hamilton's “Rope".

Mr Shaffer strikes a frightening provocative situation between Andrew Wyke,  successful writer of thrillers, and Milo Tindle a younger man, in love with his wife. In the course of their battle of temper and temperament their wits, intellectually and practically, and their emotions, in both cases volatile though in widely different ways. Andrew as it were plays out the writing of a thriller, Milo is revealed as a most strange type of victim. In and out of this a dozen kinds of detective melodrama are splendidly parodied.

Murder abounds; not so much in the way of bodies, but in depth of intent. Pistol and blood are well in evidence, though not at all in a manner you might expect. The police play their allotted part, but Mr Shaffer has his own special way of doing this. Tension is generated, with increasing force, through character, from which comes a  persuasiveness rare for a thriller.
 
The construction of “Sleuth” is impressively shapely and strong; there is excellent dialogue, pointed, amusing, chilling. always interesting. The character of Andrew is particularly well drawn. Milo is no less fascinating, even, at times, more so, though perhaps not totally convincing towards the close of  the play. Mr Shaffer's use of physical disguise, when a clown appears, is brilliant. In recent years, I think this device has been matched only by Frank Marcus in “The Killing of Sister George" in the Laurel and Hardy episode.

Anthony Quayle has never been so authoritative and absorbing as he is playing Andrew. Keith Baxter is outstanding, too, with an imaginative characterisation, rich in implication as well as direct density of colouring and dramatic impact.  Clifford Williams has directed this compelling entertainment with a firmly controlled hand  which unfolds the various aspects of a complex design with unfaltering smoothness and conviction and there is an excellent setting by Carl Toms.