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Dial M for Murder @ The Black Box Theatre

With Halloween just around the corner, The Black Box Theatre wanted a show that would be scary and spooky. According to Director Alexander Richardson’s program notes, “those are hard to come by” so they shifted gears to look for the macabre instead. They hit pay dirt with their current production of Dial M for Murder an adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott.

Most of us are more familiar with the 1954 Hitchcock film version of this script starring Ray Milland and Grace Kelly. My research into the background of this work is that it has undergone four updates and it actually premiered first in 1952 as a BBC-TV production after which it was then adapted for the stage. An updated 1998 film version titled A Perfect Murder starring Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow received mixed reviews.

The basic plot from Knott involves a husband, Tony, who openly admits he married his wife Margo strictly for her money. He discovers that his wife has been having an affair and blackmails a rather shady acquaintance to murder her in order to inherit her fortune. He plans it down to the “nth” degree, believing he has plotted the ideal crime. Hatcher’s update retains the gist of the original script and the 1950’s London setting, but ups the ante by changing the affair to a lesbian liaison thereby increasing the perception of scandalous behavior. To avoid the necessity of a spoiler alert, that’s where I’ll leave it. You need to experience it yourself to fully appreciate it.

This five member cast presents a celestial show and consists of super nova Savannah Bay Strandin as Margo; her superbly nuanced performance is stellar. As her husband Tony is Victor Angelo and as Tony’s flunky is Tyler Henning. Angelo is icily nonchalant in stark contrast to Henning’s queasy uncertainty setting up tension for the coming malfeasance. Rounding out the cast and bringing in the denouement is Stephanie Moeller as Margo’s lover and as Chief Inspector Hubbell is James Driscoll.

BBT’s co-founder Lora Adams has created the biggest, most detailed and sophisticated set I’ve seen in this venue with equally cosmopolitan, era-appropriate costuming. As a special treat, this production is enhanced by music composed by John Gromada for the Guthrie Theatre’s production of Dial M.

So, if you’re looking for some spine tingling, polished entertainment to round out your Dios De Los Muertos this show is for you.

Dial M for Murder continues at The Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Avenue in Moline, Friday and Saturday, October 25 and 26 and November 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday October 27 at 2:00 p.m.

I’m Chris Hicks…break a leg.