FOUR STARS

 

 

"The police may be baffled,” booms Andrew Wyke, “but Merridew is not.” St John, Lord Merridew is the aristocratic amateur sleuth who always outwits both murderers and police in Wyke’s whodunnits — a series of books that provide a nice little earner for their author, to judge by Wyke’s substantial, wood-panelled country house (set designer Simon Kenny). The only trouble is that Wyke has a wife with expensive tastes, but she may soon be off his hands: “I understand you want to marry her,” Wyke sneers at neighbour Milo Tindle, who has called round to discuss the matter. Unsurprisingly, the conversation turns distinctly sour.

Anthony Shaffer created Wyke and Tindle for his comedy thriller Sleuth, which premiered in 1970. In this new Watermill production, director Jessica Swale wisely resists any temptation to update the play or the setting.

Shaffer is poking glorious fun at Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, Lord Peter Wimsey, Miss Marple, the whole pantheon of amateur sleuths, and it’s vital to preserve the period atmosphere, not least because the television series featuring those classic names are so frequently shown on ITV3. Any updating would jar horribly.

Director Swale also expertly balances the play’s comedy and moments of genuine suspense. She is backed up by first-rate casting: Richard Attlee (Kenton in The Archers) is both hilarious and thoroughly obnoxious as Wyke — a magic mix. His Wyke is smug and overbearingly self-confident, but Attlee is very good at bringing out the cracks in the façade that appear along the way. He also has superb comic timing — a scene in which he shakes a cocktail in exact time to Anything Goes is a masterpiece.

Matthew Spencer is just right as Tindle: seemingly guileless to begin with, it soon becomes apparent that Tindle is a real match for Wyke: “Let’s talk about your mistress in Swindon,” he suddenly says, to Wyke’s great annoyance. Watermill Theatre, Newbury Until March 23 Tickets: 01635 46044 or visit watermill.org.uk