The Black Box Theatre again dips into the canon of writer Jeffrey Hatcher, with their new production of “Dial M for Murder.” The theatre opened their doors with his “Murderers” and continues with his newest play, adapted from the classic thriller written by Frederick Knott. The play was also made into a brilliant Alfred Hitchcock film starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland.
The Black Box production opens Friday, October 18, and runs through Saturday, November 2, 2024. Tickets are available at theblackboxtheatre.com.
Directed by Alexander Richardson and designed by Black Box Artistic Director, Lora Adams, the Black Box ensemble features Victor Angelo, James Driscoll, Tyler Henning, Stephanie Moeller, and Savannah Stratton.
The official synopsis of the play states, “Tony is convinced that his wife, Margot, has been cheating on him. Now it seems that the affair is over, but in his jealousy, Tony spins a web of suspicion and deception that will tighten around them and ensnare them both in danger, recrimination, and murder.”
What’s different from the original? The new version blends modern ideas with the 1950s era, becoming one of the most-produced plays in the last two theatre seasons.
Writer Hatcher has said of the new version, “After six or seven hard years of politics, and pandemic, and everything–where facts are hard to nail down, and truth is malleable–people like the idea of a thriller that promises we are going to nail down the facts….We are going to catch the killer, and that killer will be punished in one way or another. In one sense, it’s a reaction to these very queasy times that we live in. And it’s ‘comfort food.’ So, I think the job of an adaptation like this is to be ‘comfort food’ with some twists and turns that are new.”