Dial M for Murder at Act II Playhouse

Though “Dial M for Murder” was written as a stage play in Britain in 1952, most people know it from the 1954 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. It is a most powerful crime thriller dealing with blackmail, infidelity, and a murder plan. With a new twist by Jeffrey Hatcher to Frederick Knott’s original play, it has experienced a revival in the past few years, and Act II Playhouse has brought it to its stage this Spring. What a scary and exciting adventure it is with their five extraordinary actors!

Tony Wendice suspects his wife, Margot (Anna Marie Sell) has been cheating on him and develops a plot to have her killed and inherit her fortune (which is why he married her in the first place). Her former lover has recently arrived from America, and Tony wonders if Margot still loves the woman (In the original, it was a man but that is insignificant- it’s about cheating, not gender). He had previously discovered in his wife’s bag, a serious love letter from the ex-lover, Maxine Hadley (Jessica Delacanton). It was stolen and Margot got a letter demanding a large ransom for the return of the letter.

In a seeming side story, Tony (Jamison Foreman) has called a man in order to buy an auto. When he arrives at Tony’s home, we soon see that Tony knows a lot about the man, Lesgate (Mark Swift), and tries to force him to murder Margot.  

It is an involved plot that depends upon the relationships but also about the keys to the home, the telephone, fingerprints, lying, and alibis. And it is not merely talking about these things- we are mesmerized as we watch the movements of Tony as he devises the plot and its aftermath.

We study the faces of all as we try to figure out what they are thinking and what will happen next. There are so many twists and turns in the one room where it all takes place. Needless to say, things go wrong.

 I enjoyed every moment of the story- every twist. In the second act, we meet Inspector Hubbard (Paul L. Nolan), who tries to unravel the growing mystery. Even if you are not a devotee of this genre, you will be entranced. That’s because of the fine direction of Kate Brennan and her extraordinary cast that kept it so real! They didn’t try to play it in an over-the-top fashion like many theaters do today.

There is so much more to the story, but I dare not reveal more lest I be a spoiler. See it for yourself and watch this classic story, made famous by the Alfred Hitchcock film, come to life at Act II Playhouse.

“Dial M for Murder” adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Frederick Knott at Act II Playhouse, 56 E. Butler Avenue., Ambler, PA 19002, 215-654-0200,   act2.org   thru April 27, 2025