Review: Sleuth or Consequences: DIAL M FOR MURDER at Loretto-Hilton Center

The 58th season of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis begins with a thrilling adaptation of Dial M for Murder. Originally staged in 1952 before being made as a film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1954, the play has all the tropes of crime thrillers, the perfect murder, betrayal, a clever detective, and a femme fatale whose story includes many secrets.

However, there are no secrets about how enjoyable the company’s production of Dial M for Murder is. From the mid-century modern set to the boozy jazz music underscoring the drama, the atmosphere of a '50s London flat bristles with taut suspense.

Everyone loves a good whodunnit’ and director Melissa Rain Anderson gives audiences a well-acted and tightly-paced mystery.  There is no love for former tennis star Tony Wendice, a seemingly pleasant husband who hides his meticulous plan to murder his wealthy wife, Margot, behind a pleasant demeanor.

After discovering that Margot had an affair with Max Halliday, an American detective fiction writer, he begins to scheme. His plan to do away with his wife and collect her inheritance is a thought-out affair. Surely nothing could go wrong...

His cunning plan involves blackmailing a former schoolmate turned con artist who now uses the nom de guerre of Captain Lesgate to murder  Margot while he is at a party. In exchange for his services, Lesgate will receive the money he needs to keep up with the extravagant lifestyle of his latest mark.

But like any good mystery, plans go awry, often to the detriment of the perpetrator. After carefully staging the murder Lesgate springs into action. Everything goes according to plan except that Margot survives the attack. From here the drama escalates as The Rep’s production, twists and turns, leading to a series of intense, and revealing confrontations.

Enter Inspector Hubbard, a seasoned detective whose crime scene assessment raises his suspicions. His instincts tell him things are not as they appear, but he cannot quite work it out. But when he does, a clever game of cat and mouse ensues, leading to an exciting climax.

Meanwhile, Margot faces jail time as Max uses his crime fiction skills to sort out what happened. As for Tony, he moves on, carefully playing the devastated husband.

For this show, all the elements come together. Rudy Kemph’s costumes, Margery and Peter Spack’s set design, and Minjoo Kim’s atmospheric lighting help provide the perfect accouterments for the diabolical deeds onstage.

The ensemble is led by Jordan Coughtry as the wily Tony. Equal parts charming and menacing, his debut performance with the company gives the characters layers and complexity that make for an intriguing exploration into the mind of a murderer. Onstage, he is delightfully evil.

Returning to her hometown, Jenelle Chu shines as Margot. Playing a victimized sophisticate is never easy, and her portrayal gives audiences a vulnerable yet independent woman whose dalliance outside of marriage seems superfluous considering her horrid marriage. Chu’s portrayal makes viewers feel for her as tragic circumstances engulf her.

David Weynard, Jayson Heil, and Eric Dean White round out the cast as Lesgate, Max, and Inspector Hubbard respectively, Weynard shines as a man desperate enough to murder hire scheme while Heil’s Max eases the intensity as his character begins to work out what Tony is up to. White’s Hubbard is a classic gumshoe, but here, he has added some depth to the detective, giving those in attendance the satisfaction of watching him piece all the clues together.

Overall, The Rep’s Dial M for Murder is an intricate mystery performed by an excellent cast who bring morally questionable and complex characters to life. The dialogue is crisp, and the pacing is perfect, ensuring that everyone is enthralled by the tension unfurling before them.

Playing on themes of injustice, betrayal, class status, and greed, this gripping production of Dial M for Murder is a gripping feast for cozy mystery lovers and amateur sleuths alike.

Dial M for Murder plays at the Loretto-Hilton Center through October 7th. For showtimes and more information, visit http://www.repstl.org  

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