SLEUTH Review

As promised, here is a review of SLEUTH from the Diva Spy Network:

SLEUTH, Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA – starring Charles Shaughnessy (ex-Shane Donovan, DAYS) and Jeremy Bobb

For me, much as I love him, Charles Shaughnessy had some big shoes to fill. I had seen both filmed versions of the mystery/comedy SLEUTH before; and I had particularly enjoyed the Laurence Olivier version made in 1972. But I would say that CS succeeded in making the part his own and then some. His portrayal was definitely better than the Michael Caine version in 2007. And I would even venture to say that it was just as good as if not better than the Laurence Olivier portrayal, although since I’ve been a fan of CS for decades, I confess I’m not very objective about it.

Charles was clearly having the time of his life playing the character of “Andrew Wyke”, evidenced by a constant sparkle in his eye. Obviously, playing the role of a wealthy Brit is a bit of typecasting where CS is concerned…but in this case, he was able to show a lot more range than what most of us are accustomed to seeing when he’s on TV. His character reminded me less of Shane Donovan or Maxwell Sheffield (THE NANNY) and more of Drew Donovan, Shane’s bad boy identical twin brother. He had that same mix of boyish charm coupled with maliciousness and a talent for murder. In some parts of the play, he was even downright menacing. He also proved quite efficient with putting on all sorts of accents that worked well with the over-the-top character that “Andrew Wyke” is. The role on stage was very demanding, heavy on dialogue and a lot of physicality. CS handled it all like a pro, proving his versatility as an actor. Sometimes, I see television and film actors completely sell short on stage. But CS claims the stage is his first love; and it shows.

Jeremy Bobb seemed a bit miscast as the character of “Milo Tindle”. I felt the role seemed to call for someone a little more arrogant and glamorous (in this case, I thought Jude Law in the 2007 movie was better cast), but he really came into his own during the second act. Overall, I thought the production was excellent, even up to Broadway standards. Wonderful set, sound effects, production values, et cetera.

Congrats to Charles with this latest success.