Theater Review: Dial M for Murder

 

      John Tufts as Inspector Hubbard, Ruibo Qian as Maxine Hadley, Kate Abbruzzese as Margo Wendice and Nathan Darrow as Tony Wendice in "Dial M for Murder."  Photo by Jim Cox.

Not many writers dare to take a widely loved Hitchcock film and rewrite it for the stage. Jeffrey Hatcher is one of them. 

On commission from The Old Globe, Hatcher has taken Frederick Knott’s “Dial M for Murder” – a staple in the 1950s Hitchcock oeuvre – and rewritten and updated it as a wondrously fun play which has just opened at the Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

You remember the plot: Tony Wendice assured himself a nice flat in London and a comfortable life by marrying a rich woman named Margot. When he finds out she is having an affair with mystery writer Maxine Hadley, Tony plots to kill his wife. Meanwhile, Margot is trying to figure out how she and Maxine can carry on without Tony getting too uppity about it.

Fake blackmail letters are written, murder plots are hatched and discarded, the local Inspector gets involved, lots of keys are involved, people run on and offstage and the whole is a hilariously delightful exercise in attempted murder. Until somebody gets killed.

Ryan Park’s 1950’s-inspired costumes make both Kate Abbruzzese (as Margot) and Ruibo Qian (as Maxine) look like fashion models. I wanted to go down and grab one of those outfits.

Which brings up the fun of a show in the White: the in-the-round situation makes it almost seem that the audience is involved. That’s even more fun when you’re watching all the possible “whos” in this inspired whodunit.

Anna Louizo’s set design is perfect – uncluttered so everyone can see (it is, after all, a fairly posh place), with just enough places to hold odd things. 

The lighting (Amada Sieve) and sound (Leon Rothenberg) are extraordinary and perfect for the show. At one point Sieve encircles the entire playing space with red lights, and strange sounds are heard offstage now and again.

Director Stafford Arima has assembled a terrific cast for this exercise. Abbruzzese and Qian are utterly believable as Margot, a wife married to the wrong person and Maxine, a professional mystery writer who can’t believe what she’s involved in.

Nathan Darrow’s Tony looks too pleasant to be hatching a murder plot on his wife, but let’s face it, a guy who marries solely for money might do anything. He even admits it.

Then there’s the plodding character who ends up dead. He’s called Lesgate, doesn’t know he’ll be the fall guy and is played by Roy Iskandar.

John Tufts’ Inspector is determined to find out who did what, but will he get help from anybody else in this group? Wait and see.

If, like me, you get a bit lost in the wild and woolly shuffle, not to worry. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the fun these consummate actors and their collaborators offer.

Hitchcock would have loved this. You will too.

The details

“Dial M for Murder” plays through Sept. 28, 2022 at The Old Globe’s Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

Showtimes: Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Tickets ($30 and up): www.TheOldGlobe.org or (619) 234-5623 

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