Writer : Frederick Knott Direction : Sujay Ghorpadkar Cast : Dinesh Babu, Leenaz Samad & Prateek Jose
DIAL M FOR MURDER BY THE SUJAY GHORPADKAR Review
What do you get when you mix love, betrayal, and a fast-paced thriller? A great thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Bangalore Little Theatre’s adaptation of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film, Dial M for Murder, follows a washed-up tennis star who goes on a dangerous journey, where he hopes to pin a horrible turn of events on his disloyal wife and her confused but devoted lover.
Having known about the affair for a while, he blackmails a vulnerable college friend into killing his wife, while the husband and his wife's lover go out, conveniently getting themselves an alibi. However, things go horribly wrong, and the matter ends up more confused and messy than it started. The audience follows the clever inspector as they piece together the fragmented narratives and witness statements to understand who the guilty party is.
A fantastic thriller, from the beginning, the audience is aware of who the guilty party is - it's just a matter of finding evidence to convict the person of the crime. The sets were elaborate, with the entire set made to look like a 1950's living room. There were furnished chairs, a framed fireplace, and a study table to the side. Curtains to hide the wife’s sleeping quarters, decorated shelves with books, and a radio. The costumes and makeup for the show were accurate, capturing the essence of the story and transporting the audience to a different time. The lighting and the sound for the play were used well, adding to the edgy nature of the play. The actors all delivered strong performances, each character contributing to the tense atmosphere of the play. They each held their own as the circumstances around them turned for the worse. Unexpectedly comical in a few moments, as the play progressed, one could see the audience become more and more invested in the story, the crime, and ultimately the outcome.
It's quick, fast-paced, and sure to get your adrenaline pumping as they race against time and all the odds to take down the guilty party. A wonderful adaptation of Hitchcock’s masterpiece, this production is a unique blend of performance, design, execution, and delivery. The production stays on your mind, not just in what it shows, but rather how the narrative makes you feel.
Supriya Rajnish is a writer, aspiring actor, and theatre lover deeply interested in the power of narratives and the immersive world of the arts.
DIAL M FOR MURDER BY THE SUJAY GHORPADKAR Play Schedule(s)
