theatre

Where can you find yourself as an observer to a murder, a diabolical plot and the twists and turns of an inverted mystery? Onstage at the Ensemble Theatre’s Australian premiere of Dial M for Murder! Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Frederick Knott’s 1952 stage thriller masterfully explores classic motives for murder—fear, jealousy, revenge and greed—through a script that continuously kept me guessing about how the story would ultimately unfold.

Set in the 1950’s, two women reunite in London after an absence of time. Set and costume designer Nick Fry added small details which enhanced this period. There’s a rotary dial phone sitting on a wooden stand and art deco furniture in the loungeroom. Sitting together on the couch, a stylishly dressed Margot (Anna Samson) asks Maxine (Madeleine Jones) “How would you murder me?” Maxine begins to casually list, in alphabetical order, several ways that she could kill her. This was an intriguing start to the play, and we learn that Maxine is a writer of murder thriller novels. One of Hatcher’s changes to the original script features Maxine as a female (originally a male), giving a modern update to the story with these two characters being secret lovers in a lesbian relationship, even though Margot was married.

The cleverness of Hatcher’s script is hidden in the breadcrumbs of clues he leaves along the way. In this opening conversation, certain details are hinted at that the audience might not immediately notice but will later have an “aha” moment upon reflection. There is one method mentioned by Maxine highlighted in the characters’ conversation, and it is indeed used in a future scene which appears to throw some suspicion on Maxine.

There are many layers in Dial M for Murder, which could have gotten sticky if not for the wonderful way the director Mark Kilmurry kept the play at a suspenseful pace. Margot’s husband Tony Wendice (Garth Holcombe) wants his wife dead, Captain Lesgate (David Soncin) and Maxine find themselves involved in this situation and Inspector Hubbard (Kenneth Moraleda) is driven to discover the truth. Everyone finds themselves in a tangled web of misinformation and intrigue. As a ‘whodunnit’ mystery murder it is inverted because the audience knows exactly what happened and ‘who did it’ right from the beginning. Then we experience how the detective figures it out. Kenneth as the Inspector reminded me of Columbo and his almost bumbling way of cloaking what he was thinking to appear not so intelligent, until he lays out the crime and you realise how brilliantly logical his mind worked.

Anna Samson brought depth into her character Margot, showing her character’s vulnerability. Her stillness in the aftermath of a tragedy showed reality bleeding into her consciousness and it was powerful. Kudos to Madeleine Jones for Maxine’s broad New York accent.

Garth Holcombe was simply outstanding as Tony! Standing tall dressed impeccably in a dark suit, he appeared as an upper-class suave gentleman. However, it wasn’t long before the audience saw the real Tony; a smug, sneaky, and malicious man intent on carrying out ‘the perfect crime’ to kill his wife. It wasn’t so much in his dialogue, but in the quiet, small, almost imperceptible movements he made – such as a twitch of his mouth or a shift of his eyes that Garth performed which screamed loudly of Tony’s duplicitous and arrogant nature.

Madeleine Picard’s music and sound design during the play’s tense moments was atmospheric and evocative, reminiscent of the suspense found in a Hitchcock film. Combined with Matt Cox’s lighting design, especially during the storm where flashes of lightning dramatically illuminated the characters’ struggle in the life-and-death situation, the effect was truly exceptional.

Scattered throughout the play were some funny lines which were delivered perfectly by the cast to create some pockets of dark humour. Dial M for Murder was a tightly produced, fast paced play which was entertaining and had the audience at the edge of their seats. Although this is a ‘you-know-who-dunnit’ murder thriller, it’s one that keeps you guessing with numerous surprising twists and unexpected developments until the very satisfying conclusion. Don’t miss it!

Dial M for Murder is playing at the Ensemble Theatre. 78 McDougall St, Kirribilli
Season run: 28 Nov 2025 – 11 Jan 2026
Time: 2 hours 20 minutes, including interval
Tickets: www.ensemble.com.au/shows/dial-m-for-murder

To book tickets to Dial M for Murder, please visit https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/dial-m-for-murder/.

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