Dial M for Murder

Dial M for Murder, the twisty and timeless crime thriller with a sharp, clever update, opens August 16 at TheatreSquared (477 W. Spring St., Fayetteville) and runs through September 10. Tickets, from $20-$64, can be purchased by calling (479) 777-7477 or by visiting theatre2.org.

Playwright Frederick Knott, who also penned the thriller Wait Until Dark, premiered Dial M for Murder to great success in London’s West End and on Broadway in 1952. The play counted Alfred Hitchcock among its many fans, and he signed on to direct it for film, creating the iconic 1954 film starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. Now, Jeffrey Hatcher’s (TV’s Columbo) raises the stakes even further in a brand-new stage adaptation.

Tony Wendice married his wife for her money. Now he plans to kill her for it. Is this twisty mystery of forbidden romance, blackmail, and betrayal the perfect crime—or will Scotland Yard’s best detective crack the case?

“The adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher is funny and fraught, with modern updates for a more interesting love triangle with even harsher consequences if it were revealed,” notes a review from Broadway World.

“Having worked on the original script, I was immediately drawn to the updates of this version with new pressures and clever twists,” says director Melissa Rain Anderson. Anderson is a New York based director, actor and acting coach who directs in New York City and regionally, specializing in contemporary plays, Shakespeare and musicals.

“It’s brilliantly constructed, where you think you are watching a thriller and it very quickly becomes a mystery,” Anderson muses about the play’s longevity. “It is such a clever design for a thriller to suddenly come unhinged and we watch as the pieces unravel, change course and unravel again.”

Joining Anderson on the artistic team are Kimberly V. Powers as scenic designer; Ruby Kemph as costume designer; Minjoo Kim as lighting designer; PA Worthington as sound designer; Brodie Jasch as props designer and Emely Zepeda as production stage manager.

The cast includes Ka-Ling Cheung, Almanya Narula, Colin Sphar, Kieran Cronin, and Eric Dean White.

“With Dial M For Murder, we’re taking suspense to a whole new level,” says Robert Ford, Artistic Director. “As the plot unfolds, you’ll find yourself caught in a web of intrigue, laughter tinged with tension, and unexpected revelations. This play will have you second- and triple-guessing yourself until the very last moment.”

The seamless fusion of Knott’s compelling storytelling, Hatcher’s contemporary updates, and TheatreSquared’s talented cast and crew makes for unmissable live theater.

“‘Dial M for Murder’ is like a Hitchcock blonde,” notes the review from Broadway World. “Stylish, mysterious, and will keep you guessing until the end.”

Tickets

Performances of Dial M for Murder are scheduled from August 16 until September 10, with 7:30pm performances Tuesday through Saturday and 2pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday. The play is in the West Theatre at TheatreSquared, 477 W. Spring Street in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas. Tickets range from $20-$64. All fees are included, with no additional charges at checkout.

Subscription packages for TheatreSquared include full seven-play packages starting at $199, with four play flex packages starting at $128. Benefits for season ticket holders include savings of up to 20% on every show, free unlimited exchanges, discounted reserved parking, and same-day discounts on T2 merchandise and in The Commons Bar/Café and other T2 Restaurant & Hotel Partners.

Through T2’s Lights Up! For Access program, with lead support from the Walmart Foundation and the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, SNAP benefit recipients can purchase $1 tickets, while students and patrons under the age of 30 can purchase $15 tickets. Fully subsidized, free tickets are also available for clients of a number of local community service organizations. For more information, visit theatre2.org/lights-up.

Subscription packages and single tickets can be reserved by calling TheatreSquared at (479) 777-7477 or by visiting theatre2.org.

About TheatreSquared

TheatreSquared’s signature offering of bold new plays in an intimate setting has driven its growth to become the state’s largest theatre, offering more than 350 performances annually in an intimate setting. Its pioneering work has been recognized with the 2022 Obie Award as well as critical acclaim from The New York Times (“Best Theater of 2020” list), The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. The playwright-led company is one of mid-America’s leading laboratories for new work, having launched more than 70 new plays. Notable collaborators have included Candrice Jones, Bryna Turner, The Kilbanes, Sarah Gancher, José Cruz Gonzales, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Qui Nguyen, Mona Mansour, Amy Evans, and many others. TheatreSquared’s home—winner of the 2021 International Architecture Award—is a cultural landmark. Offering far-reaching access and education programs and an open-all-day gathering space, the Commons Bar/Café, TheatreSquared remains rooted in its founding vision, that “theatre—done well and with passion—can transform lives and communities.”

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Major funding for the TheatreSquared Season 18 is provided by the Walton Family Foundation; the Walmart Foundation; the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation; the Windgate Foundation; the Shubert Foundation; the Tyson Family Foundation; the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage; the National Endowment for the Arts; Bob and Becky Alexander; Jane Hunt; Barbara Shadden; Todd Simmons and Melissa Hall Simmons; and Simmons Foods.

Marketing support for TheatreSquared Season 18 is provided by Experience Fayetteville, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville Flyer, 3W Magazine, CitiScapes, KUAF, 5NEWS, MailCo USA, and NWA Daily.