Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...“Dial M” always was a carefully plotted thriller, of course, which is what attracted Hitchcock to it in the first place. Hatcher is sufficient good at his craft to keep everything tight and avoid obvious anachronisms. I’ve seen “Dial M” several times before and know the plot pretty well, and yet the new revisions kept me on my toes."
Chicago Sun Times - Recommended
"...“Dial M” is first and foremost a crackling murder mystery, just as it was when it premiered as a BBC radio play 71 years ago and when Alfred Hitchcock’s movie version dropped in 1954. Hatcher’s revisions give the drama layers of meaning and 21st century relevance that Knott probably never thought of. The hairpin-twisting drama revolves around Margot Wendice (Lucy Carapetyan), and her boa constrictor-smooth husband Tony (Ryan Hallahan). Tony plays the part of a loyal husband like a virtuoso, but his sinister, sociopathic core lurks just below the surface."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...If you plan to see Northlight Theatre’s “Dial M for Murder,” prepare for an edge-of-your-seat experience. That’s where you’ll be for much of director Georgette Verdin’s artful production, which is so engrossing that several times during the opening I forgot to take notes."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...It all ticks along like a stylish and well-oiled clock, with Hallahan’s villainous husband and Laidlaw’s protective Maxine both focused on Carapetyan’s frazzled and vulnerable Margot for completely different motives. Earlier this fall, Verdin directed the thriller Night Watch at Raven, which also featured a slippery husband and a wife haunted by the past. In Dial M for Murder, she once again shows her formidable skills at building narrative tension while subtly fleshing out the personal revelations and connections among the characters."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Recently, our neighbors to the North did "Dial M For Murder" and not to be outdone, Northlight Theatre, a company known for their perfect "British Comedy" productions, decided to do it as well. The original work, by Alfred Hitchcock has been adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher ( from the original written by Frederick Knott). The story is a clever work of mystery and as directed by Georgette Verdin on a very British looking set by Mara Ishihara Zinky, lets the story unveil itself in great dramatic fashion."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Georgette Verdin’s incredible production of Jeffrey Hatcher’s contemporary rewrite of Frederick Knott’s murder mystery is filled with a myriad of twists and turns. The talented cast keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace, always surprising the audience by introducing startling, new information and characters. Theatergoers will be on the edge of their seats throughout this tension-filled melodrama until the final curtain. Already extended through the New Year, this is one exciting play theatergoers won’t want to miss!"
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...There's no mystery to "whodunit" in Northlight Theatre's current production of "Dial M for Murder." The audience watches a murder planned, while also being privy to the motivations of all the major characters. But there is plenty of suspense and intrigue as we watch Inspector Hubbard (Nick Sandys is spectacular) determine what happened. The suspense rests on whether his detective skills and penetrating questions will unravel the events the audience has witnessed, allowing the perpetrator to be caught."
Third Coast Review - Highly Recommended
"...Suspenseful and fun with a stand-out team of artists, Dial M for Murder is a roller coaster from start to finish. Chicago is filled with a range of holiday classics this time of year. If you are looking for a little spice to change things up this time of year, this murder mystery is for you."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...I wasn't sure how I would react to the Northlight Theatre's production of Dial M for Murder. The set is a unit piece that never changes, there are only 5 actors, no singing, subtle lights and very little action. But I was equally as captivated by the dialogue-heavy noir piece as I have been at the flashy and loud contemporary shows I have found myself at recently."
Life and Times - Highly Recommended
"...Hatcher’s script is tight and filled with suspense. There are some nice comic asides as well that keep the dialogue fresh and moving. The setting is still the 1950s, but the changes in the characteristics of the players add a great deal to the show. Hatcher’s signature flourishes take the script from being interesting to being absolutely captivating."
Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended
"...A cad who married for money connects with a disreputable old college classmate in 1950s London to execute a nefarious plot. The cad's winsome wife has found forbidden love with a woman who just published a highly anticipated thriller. Can a preternaturally observant Scotland Yard detective solve the resulting murder? Stories like these are my happy place, and they make me happier still when they are executed with panache, as is the case with Dial M For Murder at Northlight."
Evanston Roundtable - Highly Recommended
"...Hitchcock’s movie was a thriller. The remake is more like a mystery tease. The audience knows more than the characters about who did what. They know who is the bad guy. The interesting questions are when and how the characters will discover the villain and how the evidence will expose the perpetrator."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...The entire ensemble was perfect and brought the classic stage play (which also was a fantastic Hitchcock film) to life with a fresh adaptation and twist. Caraetyan as Margot Wendice, the wealthy wife of Tony Wendice (who really wants Margot’s money without the wife part), was believable as a woman who wants to be freed from her loveless, convenient marriage. She played Margot with at first a delicate vulnerability, yet also emotional fierceness. Hallahan as Tony portrayed the part of the husband on the outside very well, while also hiding his dark and disturbing tendencies just as well, slowly revieling his inner layers throughout the play."
