Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 9 October 2021
Reviewed by Steph Lott
4****
The latest touring production of Dial M for Murder is an entertaining night out. Although it was probably more thrilling when it was first performed seventy years ago, it still has a clever plot with some excellent twists. There’s considerable fun, tension and excitement to be had as you wonder whether the dastardly Tony will get away with murder or whether he will be caught.
Ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice decides to murder his wife for 2 reasons: for her money and because she had an affair the year before. He blackmails someone he knew at school to kill her, but when things go wrong he can still see a means to achieve the same villainous end.
By and large, this production is very entertaining. The transitions between scenes are fast and stylish. David Woodhead’s stylish angular set design, with much Sixties detail, gives a good sense of the period. The soundtrack mixes atmospheric sound with some great songs from the era. I loved the lighting from Lizzie Powell. Long shadows are cast from the wings, hinting at action taking place offstage. It creates a tense and sinister atmosphere which I think Hitchcock himself would have been proud of!
There are 2 very fine players in the lead roles. Tom Chambers, as Tony Wendice, is wonderfully charming yet superbly menacing. He gives a very enjoyably physical performance and his sinister creepiness made me squirm at times. He chills the audience, showing the much darker side of would-be murderer Wendice,
Christopher Harper, who plays the dual roles of Captain Lesgate in the first act and Inspector Hubbard in the second, was excellent as a Yorkshire incarnation of Columbo! He captured a similar dogged, apparently dim witted, very annoying yet ultimately successful policeman persona to great effect. There were only a couple of odd moments; when he ignored Max Halliday’s proffered hand, (played by Michael Salami) and then when he incongruously roughed him up, which seemed out of character for the bumbling Hubbard. If it was intended as a comment on the police and historic racism, then it jarred.
I felt that Diana Vickers, playing Margot Wendice, the wife, gave a rather mixed performance. At times it was hard to make out what she was saying and she played the role very seriously (this may be the fault of director, rather than Ms Vickers). Her performance was rather flat and lacking in nuance, although she did become very convincing as a helpless potential murder victim who was easy prey for the evil Tony. Much of the first half, while entertaining, did feel a little disjointed.
The pace picks up considerably after the interval. The atmosphere is tense. Is Margot doomed? Will Inspector Hubbard work it out or will the dastardly Tony get away with it?
The show was well received by the audience and the cast got a great round of applause at the end. This classic thriller is certainly worth going to see.