Review by Paul Towers, 4/3/24
Dial M For Murder by Frederick Knott
Directed by Mary Jones
Produced by Leicester Drama Society
At The Little Theatre til Saturday 9th February 2024
“a good, old fashioned crime thriller”
Back in 1952 when Dial M For Murder was written things were very different. Men went out to work and provided for their family and women stayed home and kept house. But, behind closed doors, all is not as it seems.
Tony Wendice is an ex professional tennis player married to wealthy socialite Sheila. They live in a very nice ground floor mansion apartment in West London but Sheila (Amber Goddard) has been cheating on Tony (Andy Longley-Brown) with Max Halliday (Sam White). Unfortunately Tony knows about the cheating and is plotting to kill his wife and inherit her fortune. Tony inveigles an old school colleague, Tony Swann, aka Captain Lesgate, (Paul Large) into committing the murder for £1000 on his behalf. It will be, he says, the perfect crime. And so, as we approach the end of the first half, the murder is committed. Only the wrong person ends up dead!
Unusually we, the audience, already know who got killed, by whom, and how. It is now up to the indubitable Inspector Hubbard (Adam Jones) to unravel the mystery. Tony Wendice proves to be an arch manipulator and seems to be on the verge of getting away with it while his wife is awaiting the hangman’s noose. But her lover, Max, is determined to save her.
Dial M For Murder is a good, old fashioned crime thriller beautifully acted in a wonderful 1950’s set designed by Gemma Greaves. Mary Jones’ direction is faultless and the actor’s clipped accents perfectly place them in post war middle class London, a world of landlines and prompt policemen.
Dial M For Murder is at The Little Theatre until Saturday 9th March
Pics: Mary Jayne Harding Scott
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