Theatre Calgary wants you to Dial M for Murder
Katrina Ebuenga, Staff Writer
Laced with jealousy, deception, and an ever-so-shocking twist, Dial M for Murder throws audiences in for a whirlwind.
Brought to the stage by Theatre Calgary in partnership with Arts Club Theatre Company, the modern twist on the classic murder mystery tale folds viewers into a web of guile.
In this adaptation, Jeffrey Hatcher, American playwright and screenwriter, transforms the classic film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and original play by Frederick Knott into a performance that will have audiences pressing speed dial.
Attendees will partake in a high stakes evening that follows an ex-tennis star plotting to murder his wife and steal her fortune, all after uncovering her illicit affair. It wouldn’t be complete, however, if plans for murder didn’t take a shocking twist.
This highly anticipated adaptation is set to take the stage at Max Bell Theatre (Werklund Centre – formerly Arts Common) from Sept. 30 to Oct. 26, with tickets on sale at theatrecalgary.com, starting at $49 each.
Directed by Jillian Keiley, a renowned Canadian director who has appeared on the Stratford Festival stage and others across Canada, Dial M for Murder becomes more than just an evening of thrill and high tension.
Using her detail-oriented approach, infusion of psychological depth, and the extensive talent infused into Hatcher’s adaptation, this new take on the classic play has been transformed to cater to modern audiences.
Stafford Arima, Artistic Director for Theatre Calgary, has curated a stage for audiences to be transported around the world, experiencing all kinds of stories in this “Season of Delights,” as he describes it.
“This new version has a fresh immediacy to it, but without sacrificing its bones, its DNA, which is really taking place in the 1950s. It is a period piece, but with a slightly more fresh sensibility of characters giving Margot, the protagonist in the play, a little more agency in her character as well,” said Arima.
Being with Theatre Calgary for over eight years now, Arima handpicks the theatrical plays of the season, not holding back on engaging with creative and whimsical stories.
“It’s a season where you take audiences on this great journey around the world with a variety and diverse group of stories that all can be experienced in your own backyard, in your own city, at Theater Calgary,” said Arima.
Not only will audiences be taken on a wild journey throughout the season, but they might also find a sense of community within this year’s themes.
“I feel in many ways that the characters and their journeys resonate on a very personal level to Calgarians, even though they might not be Italian, or they might not be living in the turn of the century, they can recognize the entrepreneurial ship and the maverick energy of all of these characters within these plays,” said Arima.
With a line up including some returning classic favourites, such as A Christmas Carol and Made in Italy, audiences will feel a sense of home within their very own seats. This season aims to shine a light on Calgarians and the growing energy to strive for more.
“There is a ‘go for broke’ attitude here in Calgary that represents the characters this season,” said Arima. “Every one of these characters, whether it’s Scrooge in A Christmas Carol or Nora in a Doll’s House, they’re all about individuals who see through staying in a static mode and continuing to want to evolve, continuing to want to grow, and that’s what I see and feel as a transplant here in Calgary.”
With Arima’s expertise in directing the first adaptation of Dial M for Murder back in 2022 with The Old Globe, audiences can be assured that the production is in good hands with the creative team at Theatre Calgary.
Hatcher’s adaptation promises refined dialogue and an expansion of character motivations that keep audiences engaged from the start, as well as emphasize the shift in perspectives throughout the play.
“Unlike a traditional ‘who done it,’ where the tension really lies in uncovering the culprit, Dial M for Murder lets the audience in on the plan, almost from the beginning. The true suspense emerges not from asking who committed the crime, but what are the consequences of the turbulence of the crime succeeding or not,” said Arima.
Dial M for Murder is a story cemented in the realm of classic murder mysteries. Hatcher and Keiley, along with the Theatre Calgary creative team, honour Knott’s storytelling abilities and bring it to another level of intensity for audiences to be a part of.
“There is this kind of resurgence of interest in true crime stories,” said Arima. “This piece, with its style, its sexiness, its fresh approach, will really entertain the audience.”
Have a role in the drama that is set to unfold, and witness first hand the deadly secrets that are dying to be uncovered.
“It’s a great piece of theater that will ignite in us those wonderful emotions that happen when one watches any kind of thriller or murder mystery.”
