A great thriller should tighten like a noose – elegant, precise, irresistible. Ensemble Theatre’s Dial M for Murder delivers exactly that: slick, stylish, and laced with Hitchcockian wit. Audiences laugh at duplicity, gasp at twists, and remain hooked by the intrigue. It’s a classic that still thrills — seventy years on.

If you’ve never seen Dial M for Murder, rest assured – there won’t be any big spoilers here. With thrillers, loose lips are the deadliest sin. What I will say is that it’s the story of a “perfect crime” under the umbrella of the five motivations for murder – until one small hitch sends the gears spinning out of control. A husband conspires with icy intent, a wife hides secrets behind satin composure, and an inspector waits ready to pounce. The pleasure lies in the slow tightening of the screws, in the way suspicion shifts from one character to another, and in the seductive uncertainty of who is playing whom.

Director Mark Kilmurry keeps this noir thriller brisk, clever, and far from dusty. Classic tropes sparkle with irony, and we enjoy being part of the ruse. The pacing is carefully judged: the era’s heavy exposition becomes part of the gaslighting, pauses let us absorb the schemes and switchbacks, and the ironic twists land with satisfying clarity. 

Nick Fry’s design cloaks the stage in deco‑noir menace: lustrous rosewood and clean geometry, alluring yet layered with shadow. Madeline Picard’s soundscape heightens suspense with cinematic flair, building taut atmosphere that is nuanced yet controlled. Matt Cox’s lighting carves the stage in lamplight, dark corners and looming silhouettes, keeping the audience perpetually on edge. It’s all quite delicious.

The cast tread a taut line between tradition and reinvention, balancing familiar roles with a freshness that makes this rendition compelling. The style nods to period conventions, yet archetypal figures are sharpened into textured, immediate characters — recognisable but never static.

As a couple, Tony and Margot Wendice can easily slip into one‑note stereotypes of the charming villain and the victimised heroine. Though set in a world of well‑moneyed, insipid socialites drifting through cocktails and ennui, they instead emerge as well-rounded figures, embodying both glamour and the cost of self-deception. Garth Holcombe plays Tony as giddy in his malice, shifting on a dime from smug hubris to chilling psychopathy, while Anna Samson threads Margot’s sophisticated refinement with stiff British resilience. Together they keep the audience oscillating between complicity and shock, never letting the danger slacken.

Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation makes a smart pivot by reimagining Margo’s lover Max as Maxine, What was once a straight affair creates a shift that doesn’t just modernise the casting – it raises the emotional stakes and sharpens the knife to a double betrayal: Tony is not only deceived as a husband but also emasculated, his ego bruised by the rules of desire. 

Madeleine Jones delivers excellent tonal contrast, her Bronx accent and savvy energy setting her apart. What might have been a functional role – moving along the plot and motivations while tidying up snags – becomes something far more engaging. She brings a grounded, streetwise vitality that makes the story feel accessible and contemporary, adding grit and wit that rescues a dated trope and injects a fresh edge.

David Soncin resists the temptation to overplay menace as petty con man Swann, allowing silences and small gestures to carry the weight. He emerges as a man who finds himself hopelessly out of his depth within Tony’s web. His dispatch in the iconic scissors scene is staged with crisp ingenuity – both expected and relished – a noir flourish that became the model for countless imitators.

Act II belongs to Inspector Hubbard, whose arrival decisively shifts the rhythm. Kenneth Moraleda inhabits the role with marvellous, glib humour — never heavy‑handed, always alert. He emerges as the definitive inspector: calm, methodical, and quietly amused by the tangled ploys unfolding around him. With measured precision, Moraleda punctuates the tension and guides the story toward its gratifying conclusion.

This is Hitchcock’s favourite playground: a perfectly engineered puzzle of malice and cunning. We know the trap, yet lean closer to watch it spring. The perfect Ensemble season finale, Dial M for Murder is sleek, tense, and wickedly good fun- proof that the game still prevails.

Dial M for Murder plays at The Ensemble Theatre 28 Nov 2025 – 11 Jan 2026. For details see: https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/dial-m-for-murder/

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