THEATRE REVIEW: Dial M For Murder

Talisman Theatre, Kenilworth, until February 4.

Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott was first performed in 1952 and went on to become his most successful play.

How has it stood the test of time? Well, as the character Max Haliday (Phil Spencer) points out early on: “a good murder story is as good as anything else”.

And as the intricate and gripping plot begins to unravel this proves to be true.

The story builds as Tony Wendice (Sean Glock) attempts to have his wife Sheila (Karen Scott) murdered in order to inherit her money. He blackmails old school friend Captain Lesgate (Colin Ritchie) to do the job for him for what back in the 1950s was the princely sum of £1,000.

Sean makes an excellent villain with a convincing and polished performance. This is his first show at the Talisman and no doubt we will be seeing a lot more of him in the future.

There are also solid performances from Phil Spencer, Colin Ritchie and John Nicols as Inspector Hubbard.

Perhaps Karen Scott's performance was a little over done in the first scenes but improved as the play moved on, while the murder scene could have been more believable, prompting as it did some laughter from the audience.

Dial M for Murder is a sophisticated, chillingly sinister thriller with a fast moving plot, and some excellent acting. This is a good production and worth seeing.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF DIAL M FOR MURDER?

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