Dial M for Murder

What a very excellent set to support the play: very solid with all those doors, and the painting of garden through window atmospheric, kitchen seen through door, some excellent dressings, props and furniture.

Chris Morter ran a very tight ship with good pace and pauses, the tension and suspense built well, and an excellent cast for the characters. Joan Hocking (who I know better for her singing skills) played Sheila Wendice reacting so well with both her menacing husband Tony and her lover Max, showed her horror and terror at the situation but came through at the end. Ian Taylor as Max was stalwart, comforting for Sheila, not flummoxed by Tony but calculating and unravelling the plot with calm skill. And Tom Key was perfect in the role of husband Tony, a huge role and he rose to the heights as he delivered the plotting in all directions with Lesgate and Sheila, the words and the whole action had pace and drive, and certainly this is a role to go for. As Captain Lesgate, Tufty had the shifty look, gave in to blackmail although fighting, and certainly carried out the plot to his demise during first act. And enter Richard Crawley as Inspector Hubbard, who looked quietly acceptable on the face of it, but there was more to him and determination to solve the riddle gave him great satisfaction.

This play is a classic and worthy of this airing, (after all it was good enough for Alfred Hitchcock), it is so well written and offers such good characters to suit the plot, and it was a pleasure to see it done so well and in great style and perfect build-up tension and suspense. It is a long time since I saw this play but the wait was well worth it for this production.

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