Lamb's does fine reviving classic thriller 'Dial M'


Robert Burns' 1786 observation that the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men "gang aft a-gley" proves valid again at Lamb's Players Theatre in Coronado. In the company's superior production of Frederick Knott's play about a carefully plotted murder, events over which the plotters have no control cause a drastic change of plan.

Plot is everything in "Dial M for Murder," the 1952 psychological thriller that started dramatic life as a television script. It's also the reason the play holds up so well in the 21st century.

The story, set in post-World War II London, is that of a murder mystery with a twist. Audiences know from the offset who will be murdered and by whom. Tony Wendice, an over-the-hill tennis star, hires a petty criminal to kill his well-to-do wife, Margot. There's a subplot that has to do with Margot's one-time fling with American writer Max, a missing letter that incriminates the illicit lovers and a blackmail attempt.

Tony has thought of everything, it seems, in doing away with his wife, from his alibi (which includes Max) to an attache case of low-denomination bills accumulated over a period of several months with which to pay the killer. The two rehearse the crime with the intensity of a choreographer setting a new dance on a troupe, and have it timed to the minute.

At first, everything goes as plotted. But Margot proves to be far more resourceful than either man expected, and kills her attacker instead. This forces Tony to alter his plan: He destroys evidence of the attack and says nothing when Margot is arrested, tried and convicted for murder.

Max alone believes in her innocence and tries to interest Inspector Hubbard, the investigating officer. At that point the plot gets more complicated, but we'll leave the final surprises untold.

Although "Dial M for Murder" is very much of its time, the Lamb's Players production team, the director and a hand-picked (from the theater's resident company) cast keep it fresh and involving.

The pluses start with the physical production. Mike Buckley's scenic design -- meticulously lit by Nathan Peirson -- of a living room and

garden are exactly right for a flat in London's Maida Vale area in the late 1940s or early '50s. Jeanne Reith's costumes are also very much in tune with the period.

Director Kerry Meads stages the play at a moderate pace that allows the performers to move naturally and still keeps the story moving. She handles the sequence in which Tony outlines his marital history and why he decided to eliminate his wife unusually well.

Performances are all on a high level. Rick Meads (Tony) shares acting honors with David Cochran Heath (Inspector Hubbard). Meads' deliberate to arrogant manner, strengthened by his reedy delivery in which he moves about the room possessively, is an amazing portrait of overconfidence.

Heath plays the detective as something of a stereotype, awkward and a bit dense. This changes as he begins to suspect Tony and "gets his blood up," and becomes the play's hero.

Jennifer Austin (Margot) has little more to do than look attractive, bewildered and finally happy. Matt Scott (Max) is strong and silent for most of the play but gets charged up in the final fourth. Nick Cordileone does the petty criminal bit effectively.

"Dial M for Murder" is a "library" play, admired and respected but rarely performed. Thanks, Lamb's Players, for bringing it back.


