Dial M For Murder, Frederick Knott’s classic 1952 edge-of-your-seat thriller, launches its highly anticipated arrival at Theatre Works next month. Possibly best known as the 1954 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock (screenplay by Knott), Smoke and Mirrors Productions of Dial M For Murder promises to bring chills, suspense and a few surprises to this classic crime fiction masterpiece.
Director, the highly acclaimed Dean Drieberg, says he has been interested in adapting Hitchcock’s films for the stage for some time so when Joshua Sanders (someone Drieberg has known for years), from Smoke and Mirrors Productions and producer of the production, approached him to direct Dial M For Murder, he was thrilled.
“It took me about an hour to re-familiarise myself with the story and decide how I could make this story feel relevant for a contemporary audience (which is always important to me).
We were meant to be premiering this production in March 2020, we were in our final week of rehearsals and about to run the whole show for the first time when our rehearsal venue and theatre had notified us they would be closing due to rising concerns about COVID-19. Little did we know how long theatres would remain closed, especially in Melbourne. We have been trying to get the show back up over the last four years, but this is the first time our schedules have aligned.
I’ve been holding this concept for so long and still believe in it, so I’m excited we finally get to share it with audiences.”
Drieberg admits that he actually didn’t realise that it was originally a stage play as the screen adaptation hadn’t strayed far from the original text and adds it’s still a dream to direct a stage version of Psycho, if any producers out there are keen, he’s ready!
A huge fan of Hitchcock’s films, Drieberg says he is however disgusted to hear how the English film director treated women.
“Psycho was the first of his films I saw, when I was maybe 13 or 14, I continued to watch and love many of his films over the years,” says Drieberg. “I love the stories, the characters, the visuals and the scores. He has a way of using all of the elements to raise the stakes and take the audience on a journey.
He truly is the master of suspense, but I admire his work – not his behaviour.”
Knocking traditional whodunit convention on its head, Dial M For Murder takes the audience in a different, and perhaps even more terrifying direction.
“What’s unique about this piece is that the suspense is not about working out who the murderer is but will the person planning this murder get away with it, says Drieberg. “It leaves you on the edge of your seat because you know more than the characters do and you want the truth to be revealed so the protagonist can be exonerated.”
Although now over 70 years old, Dial M For Murder is still considered to be one of the best thrillers ever written and Drieberg is interested to see how it resonates with audiences.
“It’s not a frequently performed piece here in Australia, I have never seen it on stage, nor have any main stage companies produced it to my knowledge.
Referencing recent productions of The Mousetrap and And Then There Were None Drieberg says Agatha Christie shows seem to be trending “…so I hope it appeals to audiences, but there is a main story point that I feel is sadly very relevant and that was what stood out to me and why I wanted to tell this story now and here.”
Like all the classic Hitchcock films, music plays a central role in telling the story. Inspired by Hitchcock’s iconic soundtracks, the production will feature an 80s synthesized sound design by Katie Harrigan.
“Hitchcock film scores are iconic, particularly those by Bernard Herrmann – even if you haven’t seen Psycho, you know the screeching strings that accompanies it.
I was researching contemporary film noir (neo noir) and one of my favourite films has been an inspiration in many ways for this production – Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive (2011). I think it has one of the best film scores and much like what Herrmann was for Hitchcock, you can’t imagine Drive without its score.”
Drieberg wanted to find a similar sonic language for Dial M For Murder using 80s synth and contemporary electro-pop.
Although the script and timeline of the narrative remain unchanged, as this production of Dial M For Murder progresses through its three acts, the era in which it is set advances from the 1950s to modern day. Act one is set firmly in 1950, act two advances to the 1980s and act three brings it into the modern world. This design choice was made to highlight the timeless nature of the themes explored in the play.
Drieberg’s choice has both creative and societal influence with the significance of the latter resonating loudly.
“When I was reading the play to work out how I would approach it and why (because I’m not interested in creating a museum piece), I found it devastating that the relevant story point in this play is a man who is planning to murder his wife.
Last year, 103 women were killed by men in Australia. I want to point at this horrific statistic and underline that it’s not an issue of the past, it’s ongoing. I hope that audiences use this as a conversation starter and hopefully those conversations inspire action.”
Drieberg comes to the production with extensive experience including work as the resident director of Hamilton Australia and years as the Co-Artistic Director of Sondheim repertory company, Watch This. He has produced numerous advertising campaigns and major events across Australia, in Tokyo and New York. he is also an advocate for theatre that is inclusive of Indigenous, Bla(c)k and/or people of colour, artists with a disability and LGBTQIA+ artists.
As a creative, he is interested in stories and characters that have a social relevance “…so when I read a script that I’m considering, I need to answer, ‘Why this, why now, and why here?'”
He aims to direct stories that will allow audiences to see themselves or others and understand something that they previously didn’t understand, see things in a new light or motivate them to take action.
“I want audiences to be entertained but also to leave the theatre having important conversations. The best theatre I have seen stays with me for days or even longer, I’d love to give audiences that experience.”
Made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s film of the same name, this riveting new production of Dial M for Murder will keep you on the edge of your seat. With acclaimed director Dean Drieberg at the helm and an impressive mix of cast and creatives bringing it to the stage, this latest season by Smoke and Mirrors Productions crackles with suspense – offering a night of unexpected twists and lethal amounts of intrigue.
Says Drieberg, “Come and experience something that may feel familiar at the start but will take you on a journey. If you enjoy the suspense genre or Hitchcock films or if you are intrigued to see a play from the 50s and see how it stands in 2025, this is for you.”
August 7 – 16
