The Arts Club Theatre Company brings Jeffrey Hatcher’s new adaptation of Dial M For Murder, Frederick Knott’s classic psychological thriller, to the Stanley BFL Canada stage until March 8.
Best known from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film adaptation, Jillian Keiley directs this tight, tense and refreshingly witty update on the chilling crime drama. Right from the start we know whodunnit but will they get away with it? Jealousy rears its ugly head when Tony learns of his wife Margot’s affair, and he plots, twists and manipulates others into his web of lies and blackmail. When things don’t go according to plan, can he adapt quickly enough to escape the noose?
The outstanding cast keeps everyone on the edge of their seats as the drama unfolds with delightful moments of levity. As the malevolent publishing executive Tony Wendice, Tyrell Crews steals attention in a moustache twirling turn, while Emily Dallas is his milquetoast and wealthy wife Margot. However, still waters run deep and there may be more than meets the eye in her psyche. In a pivotal role, Stafford Perry is the unfortunate Lesgate, a hapless pawn in all of the maneuvering. Olivia Hutt plays the brash, bold no-nonsense American mystery writer Maxine Hadley with a professional and encyclopedic love of murder. Her opposite, the suspicious and cautious Inspector Hubbard of Scotland Yard lets Shekhar Paleja play his best crime novel detective.
Equally as important to the atmosphere of suspense the creative team proves to be perfect collaborators under Keiley’s handling. Costume Designer Jolane Houle helps create the air of mid-century London society, wardrobes the cast in stylish and evocative costumes. Set completely in the Wendice’s London ground-floor flat, creatively designed by Set Designer Anton deGroot. Like the plot, the flat brilliantly shifts and transforms, keeping the audience on its toes, while the cast has drawn such close focus that you won’t even realize it changed and you’re seeing things from a new angle. With Itai Erdal’s lighting design offering literal flashes of hints, clues and magical misdirection working along with Composer & Sound Designer Anton Lipovetsky’s jazz inspired sound-track and sound cues to create a jazzy film-noir style that keeps the atmosphere tense and stylish, belying the turmoil that’s unfolding before us.
Dial M for Must-See! In partnership with Theatre Calgary, The Arts Club Theatre Company’s Dial M For Murder plays until March 8, 2026 at the Stanley BFL Canada Stage, 2750 Granville Street. Visit artsclub.com for showtimes and tickets – don’t let it slip through your clutches, the word of mouth is sure to spread and sell out this production!