When people think of the thriller Dial M for Murder, they usually think about Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. The original play by Frederick Knott is viewed as one of the great thrillers of the modern stage. Vertigo Theatre produced the play back in 2015 and now Theatre Calgary is putting on Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation. The original premise of being let in on the plotting of a murder is still at the heart of the play, but the adaptation gives voice to the women in the play and it makes for a more compelling story with in-depth characters.
The twist in this narrative comes right at the beginning, after you’ve witnessed the married couple Tony (Tyrell Crews) and Margo (Emily Dallas) interacting with their mutual friend Maxine (Olivia Hutt). The first few scenes depict the type of relationships that exist between these characters and the tension that exists. When you get to the conversation between Tony and Lesgate (Stafford Perry), a fellow that Tony invites in for drinks on the premise that he’s interested in the car Lesgate is selling, the tension is ramped up. It’s pulled taunt throughout the play and as you move from scene to scene, especially when Inspector Hubbard (Shekhar Paleja) leads the murder investigation.
Director Jillian Keiley has thought of everything in this production, ensuring that every detail is covered. The shifting perspectives in the play, including literally seeing the plot of a murder from all sides, is illustrated in Anton deGroot’s set that continually rotates on the Max Bell Stage. It’s a slow circular motion, that the audience becomes aware of as the play progresses. Another highlight is Jolane Houle’s costume design, which features each scene of the play in different colours. It goes from gold with touches of red to puce to white, then to green and blue. Frankly, it’s brilliant. The stage and costumes work together to highlight the colours as scenes change. Itai Erdal’s lighting design gives the murder scene its thrill, having it be dark while still allowing the audience to see all the action. Anton Lipovetsky’s sound design and composition makes the entire production thrilling.
Crews and Perry are masters at the slow burn. The masks of being polite and pleasant eventually fall off. But this adaptation would not be what it is without the talents of Dallas and Hutt. They weave together passion and intrigue and both their characters have a quiet strength that is never on immediate display, but it’s in every move they make. Paleja ties everything together and is steady as the inspector.
Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of this classic breathes new life into the old script of men taking care of everything, from the plot of a murder to its investigation. Life just happened to the women in that version. This version flips that entirely on its head and for that premise alone, this thriller is worth the evening out.
Theatre Calgary’s Dial M for Murder runs until October 26. More information is available online.
Photo: (l to r) Emily Dallas, Olivia Hutt in Dial M For Murder at Theatre Calgary. (Photo: Trudie Lee)