In a cultural landscape where murder has been done to death, what can a stage play offer to entice modern patrons already up to their eyeballs in serial killer franchises and true crime podcasts?
With its current production, “Dial M for Murder,” Virginia Repertory Theatre is banking on a beguiling mix of the modern and the old-fashioned. While the show remains true to its Hitchcockian roots, director Mel Rayford and her exquisite cast amp up the intensity seething just under the mid-1950s British sheen of civility, creating a satisfying roller coaster ride of emotion.
The heat starts simmering from the very beginning at the introduction of Margot Wendice (Ashley Thompson), a wealthy heiress who broke off a passionate love affair with author Maxine Hadley (Rachel Dilliplane) more than a year ago.
Margot married Tony (Alexander Sapp) instead but, when Hadley arrives back in London promoting a new book, the two can barely suppress their longing for each other. Unbeknownst to both of them, Tony is well aware of the relationship between the women and has meticulously planned the murder of his wife, assured that he can exact his revenge while also inheriting his wife’s fortune.
Tony blackmails a former classmate, Lesgate (Adam Turck), to carry out the crime but, when events go sideways, Tony has to improvise like crazy to keep dogged Inspector Hubbard (Jim Meisner, Jr.) off the scent of what really happened.
The play isn’t a whodunit or even a whydunit—it’s a tantalizing game of “how’s he going to screw this up.” Tony seems to have anticipated every possibility and our collective outrage over the injustice of it all gradually increases as Margot is charged with murder, destined for capital punishment thanks to Tony’s machinations.
Sapp slithers into his role with devilish aplomb, letting the sense of betrayal Tony feels bubble up subtly under his supreme confidence. When plotting with Lesgate, he’s chillingly calm. When he’s playing the devoted spouse to Margot or the supportive friend to Maxine, Sapp allows just enough fiendishness to slip through so that the audience never forgets who the villain is.
Dilliplane and Thompson share a winning chemistry, the former often on the verge of letting Maxine give herself over to the fiery feelings she still has for Margot. Both are constrained in the first act, Thompson in particular hamstrung by the restrictions of gentility, then caught in a spiral of disbelief as the plot unfolds.
But both get to broaden their performances in the second act, Dilliplane ramping up her energy as Maxine dives into the role of amateur sleuth and Thompson effectively capturing an aristocrat driven to extremes as the prospect of her hanging looms large.
Meisner projects the perfect Columbo-like detective, insight and intelligence always clearly underlying his bluster. Though only in a couple scenes, Turck makes the most of his stage time: the steely, resentful glare Lesgate levels at Tony sends a clear message that this is someone capable of killing.
Playing out on a meticulously appointed set designed by Frank Foster, the action never flags even during a few exposition-heavy scenes. Rayford joyfully embraces thriller conventions, with atmospheric sounds of thunder (thanks to Jonathan Pratt’s sound design) and an ice pick prominently highlighted in a way that keeps us anxious to see how it’ll ultimately be used.
“Dial M” started as a play back in 1952, with a stint on Broadway before Hitchcock brought the story to the screen in 1954. This production uses an updated script by Jeffrey Hatcher that premiered in 2021 and cleverly ups the ante of the plot, not least of all by making Margot’s fear of her affair being exposed include being outed as a gay woman.
Stylish and smart, “Dial M” is sure to connect with modern audiences sophisticated enough to hear its call.
Virginia Rep’s “Dial M for Murder” is playing at Hanover Tavern, 13181 Hanover Courthouse Road, through April 27. Tickets and information available at https://va-rep.org/.
