(Cover Photo: Kimberlee Connor as "Margot" and Michael Ryan Buckley as "Tony" in a scene from the thriller "DIAL M FOR MURDER" by Jeffrey Hatcher presented by Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through March 17, 2024. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)

By Kevin T. Baldwin

METRMAG Reviewer

# 774-242-6724   

“Do you really believe in the perfect murder?" 

              - ("Margo") / Jeffrey Hatcher  

Greater Boston Stage Company  

Presents Jeffrey Hatcher's

"DIAL 'M' FOR MURDER"

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher 

From the original by Frederick Knott 

Directed by Weylin Symes+ 

Cast Includes: Kimberlee Connor* as "Margot," Bill Mootos* as "Lesgate," Robert D. Murphy* as "Inspector Hubbard," Lily Kaufman as "Maxine ," Michael Ryan Buckley* as "Tony." Understudy: Sara Coombs. 

Additional Creative Team:

Production Manager - Casey Blackbird; Production Stage Manager - Marsha Smith*; Production Assistant - E.D. Fitzgerald; Scenic Designer - Katy Monthei; Lighting Designer - Jeff Adelberg^; Assistant Lighting Designer - Amanda Fallon; Costume Designer - Deirdre Gerrard; Sound Designer - Andrew Duncan Will; Properties Designer - Emily Allinson; Fight/Intimacy Coach - Angie Jepson; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Consultant - Kira Troilo.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States. 

^Member of IATSE/USA 

+Member of SDC

Performances:

May 3, 2024 through May 19, 2024 

(Contact Box Office for Exact Times) 

GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY, 395 Main Street Stoneham, MA 02180 

Reserve your tickets today!

Box Office Hours: Mondays – Fridays, noon to 6pm 

Box Office # 781-279-2200 

boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org

COVID 19 PROTOCOLS

Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.

Adultery, blackmail and murder are all at the forefront of the cleverly staged "DIAL 'M' FOR MURDER," the latest offering by Greater Boston Stage Company (GBSC) in Stoneham.

The new adaptation of the sinister story from Frederick Knott as updated by Jeffrey Hatcher is beautifully staged with performances all quite compelling, thanks to the expert guidance by GBSC director Weylin Symes. 

"DIAL 'M' FOR MURDER," as first scribed by Knott, would eventually be turned into the iconic 1954 film directed by Alfred  Hitchcock starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. 

The play premiered in 1952 on BBC Television, before being performed on stage in London's West End then ultimately moving to Broadway that same year.

As one first walks into the GBSC space, one can't help but notice the absolutely gorgeously constructed single set used for this latest staging of the Hatcher adaptation. A visceral treat for the eyes.  

The collective performances in the five-person cast are all exemplary, despite the overall story which is (even with its modifications in effort to become more relevant to today's audience) a bit arid and stale. 

(Photo: Kimberlee Connor as "Margot" in a pivotal moment from the thriller "DIAL M FOR MURDER" by Jeffrey Hatcher presented by Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through March 17, 2024. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)

Margo (Kimberlee Connor) is a married English woman recently estranged from her lover, Maxine (Lily Kaufman), a professional writer of many murder plots who is in town to do a radio interview. 

In a nice bit of foreshadowing, the play opens as the two discuss the various ways and reasons why someone, anyone, commits murder. 

Connor and Kaufman have good chemistry in their scenes together making their characters' alluded to intimate relationship seem plausible.

However, neither woman is aware that Margo’s scheming husband, Tony (Michael Ryan Buckley), has conceived of what he believes is the perfect plot to murder his wife and pin the blame on someone else. 

Buckley is both charming and slick as the reprehensible Tony, who blackmails an old college buddy now going under the assumed name of "Lesgate" (Bill Mootos).

With a big wad of ill-gotten cash, Tony convinces Lesgate to “break into” his home, murder Margo and to make it appear as if she was killed by a startled burglar. 

(Photo: Robert D. Murphy as "Inspector Hubbard" on the phone in a scene from the thriller "DIAL M FOR MURDER" by Jeffrey Hatcher presented by Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through March 17, 2024. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)

Buckley has the most wonderfully aggressive moments, especially during his scene with Mootos as Lesgate, explaining just how much preparation has gone into Tony's fiendish plan, leaving Lesgate little option but to go along with it.

Mootos gives a thoughtful performance as Lesgate, showing his character is not the simple-minded hired thug Tony thinks he is.

However, things unfold very badly for Tony (and, spoiler alert, worse for Lesgate) as Margo survives the attack and now Tony must do whatever it takes to make sure he is not incriminated in the attempted killer's unfortunate demise.  

in Act Two, the murder is investigated, and we are introduced to Inspector Hubbard (Robert D. Murphy) who bursts onto the murder scene looking and acting like a British poor man's “Hercule Poirot."

Murphy brings a marvelous sense of omnipotence from the moment Hubbard enters, almost as if the Inspector is in possession of far more information than he lets on.

(Photo: Kimberlee Connor as "Margot" with Lily Kaufman as "Maxine" share a tender, reassuring moment together in "DIAL M FOR MURDER" by Jeffrey Hatcher presented by Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through March 17, 2024. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)

In the Hatcher script, it would seem that Scotland Yard was doing all kinds of incredibly advanced investigation methods long before they were invented.

Every plot point is cleverly mapped out from the very beginning of the story to its ultimate conclusion.

Kaufman is impressive as the lovelorn Maxine, who feigns a working friendship with Tony just so she can continue being close to her beloved Margo. 

There are some intense exchanges between Tony and Maxine during the latter half of Act Two which really allows both performers to explore their character's modernized dichotomy. 

However, even with the update story, one area where the 1950s material still seems horribly dated is with the pivotal character of Margo.

This is not a reflection on Connor's performance which is quite solid. 

It is more a problem with the text which, for all of its revisions, still feels quite dated, at times.

(Photo: Kimberlee Connor as "Margot" and Michael Ryan Buckley as "Tony" at the scene of the crime in "DIAL M FOR MURDER" by Jeffrey Hatcher presented by Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, MA. now playing through March 17, 2024. Photo Credit Maggie Hall Photography)

As a supposedly strong female protagonist, Margo has many moments where she instead comes across as superficial, whiny, naïve, helpless - and, worst of all, as a wife far too easily manipulated (repeatedly) by her devious husband. 

Just as Margo takes charge - to protect herself just as her life is in mortal danger - the event progresses looking more like an accidental act of desperation rather than a thoughtfully initiated act of self-defense or "femme fatale" moment.   

The character of Maxine offers a nice, consistently paced  "counterbalance" of aggression, assertiveness and defiance - all areas in which Margo seems to fall short, which also comes despite the Hatcher update.

All lighting and sound cues were perfectly executed.

Costumes were perfectly in sync with the time period. However, one noticeable aspect witnessed was in the same costumes being worn even as time had definitely advanced during the second half of the second act.

Even with any of these issues noted, this suspenseful story is still well staged, still well acted and still a wonderful homage to the Hitchcock classic movie with its many ingenious plot twists.

"DIAL 'M' FOR MURDER," continues at Greater Boston Stage Company (GBSC) in Stoneham until May 19th and to miss it would be, in a word, criminal.

For their concluding show of their 24th season, coming up next at Greater Boston Stage Company will be the iconic musical "GUYS AND DOLLS" by Abe Burrows, Jo Swerling and Frank Loesser which begins June 7th, 2024. 

For more information or tickets, contact the Box Office at # 781-279-2200 or via email at boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org 

Approximately two hours with one intermission. 

Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)

@MetrmagReviews

@Theatre_Critics 

ABOUT THE SHOW

“A cat-and-mouse waiting game, with enough twists and sudden hitches to keep the chills and thrills running.”- The New York Times

In "DIAL 'M' FOR MURDER" 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.  

A new version of the celebrated murder mystery!  

ABOUT GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY 

We bring vibrant professional theatre and dramatic education beyond the boundaries of Boston, featuring world and regional premieres alongside fresh interpretations of familiar work. Within this setting, we uniquely foster the artists of tomorrow by providing ongoing performance and employment opportunities to our company of current and former students. Located in Stoneham, MA. GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY produces five Mainstage shows, presents a series of Special Events, and runs year-round classes, lessons, and fully staged productions through The Young Company for students in grades 1–12.

GREATER BOSTON STAGE COMPANY  

395 Main Street 

Stoneham, MA 02180 

Box Office # 781-279-2200 

boxoffice@greaterbostonstage.org

greaterbostonstage.org