A KILLER REVIVAL

Drury Lane’s Dial M for Murder may be set in 1950s London, but under Adam Immerwahr‘s taut direction, the suspense feels freshly sharpened. Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation keeps the bones of Frederick Knott’s 1952 thriller intact while daringly reimagining one key element: Margot Wendice’s affair is now with another woman. It’s a simple switch that changes everything — not just the emotional geometry of the piece, but its social peril. Love itself becomes part of the crime.

Alexandra Silber, Amanda Drinkall, Erik Hellman

Margot (Amanda Drinkall) is married to Tony Wendice (Erik Hellman), a former tennis player whose charm conceals a calculating mind. When Tony discovers his wife’s affair with Maxine Hadley (Alexandra Silber), he plots the perfect murder, hiring a shady acquaintance, Captain Lesgate (Ian Paul Custer), to do the job. But as any good thriller demands, the plan goes spectacularly wrong — and the fallout reveals as much about guilt and moral decay as it does about criminal ingenuity.

Erik Hellman

The performances here are among the finest you’ll find on any Chicagoland stage. Hellman’s Tony is a portrait of urbane malice, his smile so persuasive you almost root for him despite yourself. Drinkall gives Margot a quiet strength that deepens the story’s emotional stakes; her unraveling feels earned, not hysterical. Silber brings a modern sensuality and intelligence to Maxine — the role that, in lesser hands, could have been just a narrative device, here pulses with vulnerability and conviction. And as Inspector Hubbard, Jonathan Weir exudes the kind of patient confidence that makes the final act so satisfying.

Erik Hellman and Ian Paul Custer

The production design matches the performances in polish and precision. Scenic designer Paige Hathaway delivers a spectacular London flat — all burnished wood, velvet drapery, and period glamour — but arranged so that every elegant detail conceals menace. The French doors and clever sightlines heighten the sense of danger; you can almost feel the noose tightening with every cue. Emma Deane‘s lighting transforms the set into a psychological map — golden warmth one moment, noir chiaroscuro the next — while Joshua Schmidt‘s subtle sound design gives every phone ring, footstep, and approaching car a pulse of dread. Together, the designers create the perfect storm — literally.

Amanda Drinkall

And then there are Nicole Boylan‘s costumes, which deserve a bow of their own. Her designs capture the sophistication and restraint of postwar London — sharply tailored suits, chic silhouettes, and a hint of Hitchcockian polish. Each look tells its own story: Tony’s crisp lines broadcast control; Margot’s softer palettes and flowing fabrics reveal both status and fragility; Maxine’s wardrobe, daring yet refined, carries the quiet rebellion of a woman ahead of her time.

Alexandra Silber

Immerwahr keeps the pacing crisp without losing the play’s slow-burn tension. The gender shift adds genuine emotional complexity, reminding us that in 1950s England, some secrets could destroy more than a marriage. What was once a straightforward story of greed now becomes a meditation on repression — and how far people will go to preserve appearances.

Jonathan Weir

Drury Lane’s Dial M for Murder proves that a well-crafted thriller doesn’t need blood to draw us in — just impeccable acting, elegant design, and direction that understands the power of suggestion. The result is a stylish, superbly acted evening that breathes new life into a classic.

Erik Hellman, Amanda Drinkall

photos by Brett Beiner

Dial M for Murder
Drury Lane Theatre
100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace
Wed at 1:30; Thurs at 1:30 & 7; Fri at 7; Sat at 3 & 8; Sun at 2 & 6
ends on October 26, 2025
for tickets ($55-$150), call 630.530.0111 or visit Drury Lane

for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago