Sleuth

Sleuth [1] is a 1970 mystery/thriller play by English playwright and screenwriter Anthony Shaffer [2].

Translations and adaptations

A number of translations and film adaptations have been done.

Translated into Afrikaans as Speurhond (lit. "detecting dog") by Marco van der Colff in 1981.

Translated into Afrikaans as Wie Laaste Lag ("Who Laughs Last") by Pierre van Pletzen in 1988.

1970: Staged in the original by Shirley Firth, Pieter Toerien and Basil Rubin at the newly refurbished Intimate Theatre in Johannesburg, directed by Warren Jenkins, starring visiting British actors Ralph Michael, Nicholas Amer, Stanley Rushton, Robin Mayfield and Liam McNulty. Designed by British designer Terry Parsons, lighting designed by Warren Jenkins.

1988: A revival of the play was presented by Pieter Toerien Productions in assocation with PACT, directed by Pierre van Pletzen opening 12 August 1988. Performed in the Baxter Theatre and the André Huguenet Theatre. The cast included Michael Atkinson, Michael Richard, William Taylor, Derrek Lister, Johan Joubert. Lighting by Jannie Swanepoel, set and costumes designed by Chris van den Berg.

1988: Wie Laaste Lag, the Van Pletzen Afrikaans translation, was staged by PACT, directed by Pierre van Pletzen, with Louis van Niekerk (Andrew Wyke), Franz Marx (Milo Tindle), Roelf Marits (Insp. Doppler), Andre Allers (Sers Tarrant), Neels Roberts (Konst Higgs) and Zander Xteen (Konstabel). Design by Chris van den Berg.

Sleuth theatre programmes 1970, 1988.

The Argus, 15 August 1988.

PACT theatre programme, 1988.

Petru & Carel Trichardt theatre programme collection.

Copies of the Programme, and various other articles and reviews on the 1981 Windhoek production of Speurhond. (Contained in the George Ballot scrapbooks, donated to the PARC research collection at the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, Stellenbosch, by Prof Muller Ballot[3].)