Dial ‘F’ for fun

Perfect murders only exist on paper—or so says the extremely smart mystery and crime writer, Max (Barry Hubbard) in the first act of the classic mystery, Dial “M” for Murder. Set in ’50s London, it also has the advantage of having been filmed by Alfred Hitchcock, so we’re guaranteed solid plot, interesting characters, and a long setup. It’s the opposite of Law & Order; instead of opening with a body, we don’t get a corpse until the second act.

What we do get is the opportunity for some top-notch acting, especially from Matt K. Miller (as Tony, the former tennis pro and full-time sociopath who really, really wants his wife dead) and Hubbard (said wife’s former lover). The two are opposites in every way, save one: The ability to command the audience’s attention. Where Miller’s Tony is wily and duplicitous, Hubbard’s Max is a stand-up guy with a weakness for another man’s wife; both are fascinating.

As Margot, the wife in question, Jackie Vanderbeck has very little to do—at least, once the murder is out of the way. Fortunately, she does it with presence, so that we certainly understand why Max loves her and find Tony even less sympathetic for wanting to get rid of her.

As Detective Inspector Hubbard, Gary Alan Wright does a fun turn as a more urbane version of television favorite Columbo—“Just one more question …”—albeit given the age of the play, his character may have been the source for the trench-coated sleuth of renown.

Scott Divine is “Captain Lesgate”—one of several aliases for an old acquaintance of Tony’s with extremely low morals—the hired killer, who is tempted by Tony’s enticements to crime. He’s appropriately skeevy, though compared to Tony, he’s a villainous lightweight.

While the plot may be familiar, the twists and turns of character are what make this production work. Watching a really good villain get his comeuppance makes Dial “M” for Murder “dial “F” for fun.