Dial M For Murder

Dial M for Murder is best known as a 1954 American film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay and the successful stage play, on which it was based, were written by English playwright Frederick Knott. The play premiered in 1952 before being performed on stage in the same year in the West End in June, and then Broadway in October.

The story centres around Tony Wendice who is secretly planning to murder his wife Sheila, after learning of her affair with American writer Max Halliday, thus inheriting her money. Wendice coerces an old friend, Captain Lesgate, into carrying out the deed whilst he plans his own alibi but he doesn’t take into account the wiles of the police Inspector, when events take an unexpected turn.

The atmospheric tone is there right from the start, with the excellent set and spine chilling music, enhanced by an effective lighting plot. Costumes and set dressing gave us that 1950s feel, right down to the bright red dial telephone. Chris Woodward made an excellent Tony, showing us emotional detachment as he plots his wife’s murder. He is ably supported by Emmie Rhodes, who plays his wife Sheila, showing her vulnerability and innocence. Also playing a good supporting role is Alex Ezrati as Max Halliday, Sheila’s lover and unwitting supplier of an alibi for Tony. Glen Marks, playing Captain Lesgate doesn’t realize what he has let himself in for when he agrees to Tony’s plan, especially when he is the one who ends up as the corpse. But as I said before, Tony doesn’t reckon on the sharp and witty Inspector Hubbard, played well by Neil Harris, who sees through all the lies of the characters and the riddle of the door keys, thus ending up with the rightful villain.

Meg Nutt and her team gave us a production which flowed and kept us, the audience, gripped throughout with it’s intrigues and complex threads and where every cast member stood out. A class act from start to finish.

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