Greg Mandryk and Mark A. McCarthy perform a scene from “Dial M For Murder,” which ends its run at the Huntington Playhouse Nov. 4. (Photo by Tom Meyrose)

Classic ‘Murder’ takes stage at Huntington Playhouse
By Art Thomas
Insights
Published JOct. 31, 2007

“‘Blackmail’ is such an ugly word.” That is a line from so many dark dramas on stage and in films many years ago. It also is the basis of “Dial M for Murder,” on stage at Huntington Playhouse through Sunday.

Frederick Knott’s drama, set in London, introduces Tony Wendice, a college tennis star who couldn’t sustain his fame and openly decided to marry for money. His wealthy wife, Margot, seems healthy, so he turns to an old friend to murder her.

Captain Lesgate performed a petty theft when he was in college, so Tony assumes he would be a good candidate to murder his wife. Improbable? Yes, but in the framework of this play it seems to work.

Of course, things do not work out as originally thought, and Lesgate gets stuck in a surprising way. There is a police investigation, and since this play is both moral and ethical, a rough form of justice prevails by the time the curtain falls in Act III.

The Huntington production is both entertaining and fascinating. Youngsters will ask about phones that had dials and were rooted to one spot—with a cord. Adults will think about the many odd ways that the British police investigate the crime. You’ll know the meaning of inflation when characters talk about 1,000 pounds sterling as a huge amount of money.

Mark McCarthy comes off as a cold, calculating husband—which Tony is. Greg Mandryk is the college classmate, Lesgate, who gets sucked into the murder plot. Mandryk’s pleasant, bemused stage presence is fun to watch as his character affably enjoys drinks while discussing the sale of an automobile, and then moves into a practically improbable plan for murder.

Carrie Hebert as Margot is an unliberated wife of a bygone era. Her blind devotion to her husband provides much of the amusement in the plot. How many wives would stay home to make a scrapbook of their faded tennis star husband’s news clippings?

Vincent DePaul is family friend Max, who isn’t sure where his devotion lies. Alex Nalbach and Jim Dickens complete the cast as the police who eventually make sure that justice is served.

“Dial M for Murder” has serviceable direction by John Hnat, an attractive set by Tom Meyrose and cool, atmospheric music from Dale Hruska. It captures an era that many of us lived through and is a fun look back to the drama of the era. Fortunately, it also holds together well in the 21st century.

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