Dial M For Murder At Milton Keynes Theatre Review

Reviewed by Joanna Woodburn

The trailer for the Frederick Knott crime play Dial M for Murder plants the first seeds of intrigue. Tony has only one thing on his mind in this thriller play, ‘How do you get away with the perfect crime?’ Best known for Alfred Hitchcock’s film version, Dial M for Murder is back on tour after being stopped in its tracks by the pandemic and playing at the Milton Keynes Theatre.

The Milton Keynes Theatre is a modern and spacious venue, where audiences can feel reassured by the current changes to keep people safe. The well tiered seats in the auditorium are comfortable with good leg room. All areas of the theatre are accessible to customers with limited mobility. There is also most convenient free parking within easy walking distance of the theatre. The theatre is now a number one touring venue, playing host to the very best in different genres.

Audiences looking for an early Halloween thriller full of suspense with equal measures of laughs and comic value will be guaranteed a great night of entertainment. Dial M for Murder is a very clever, witty and fast paced crime drama and the perfect example of taut thriller theatre at its best.

Tony Wendice is a jaded, callous ex-professional tennis player who has wed his wife for money. After discovering she is having an affair with crime writer Max Halliday, Wendice comes up with an ingenious plot to commit the perfect murder and inherit his wife’s money. The thriller is tightly plotted, with many, many twists and turns and shifts in fortunes of the characters. The audience is drawn in from start to finish and it is not until the very end that the pieces all fall into place. It turns out that there is no perfect crime.

Brilliantly performed, the cast were outstanding and really did give it their all. Tom Chambers is brilliant and charismatic as the shallow, manipulating Tony Wendice. Chambers make the most of every minute and commands the stage with a convincing and superbly acted performance. We loved his exuberance and cracking comic timing. Diana Vickers as Margot Wendice rises to the challenge and plays the bewildered Margot with finesse.

All the talented cast are masters at the rise and fall in storytelling, with moments of quiet and silence and ‘jumpy’ moments just as seat gripping as the more animated scenes. Whilst never taking the performance too seriously, the cast all work exceptionally well together to entertain the audience with moments of both suspense and a lot of fun.

Dial M for Murder will have you engaged and gripped from start to finish. Huge congratulations to the cast and production team. It runs at the Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 30th October.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets cost from £13.00 plus transaction fee of £3.65

Dial M for Murder is at Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes from Tues 26th to Sat 30th October, for more information or to book tickets visit https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/dial-m-for-murder/milton-keynes-theatre/
or call the box office on 0333 009 6690

Milton Keynes Theatre, 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 3NZ