Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Directed by Adam Immerwahr, Drury Lane’s production leans into the period-appropriate melodrama of the source material, serving up an entertaining evening of old-fashioned suspense. In an attempt at modernization, Hatcher’s adaptation — first staged at San Diego’s Old Globe Theater in 2022 — swaps the gender of Margot’s lover, making her affair with Maxine Hadley (Alexandra Silber) a same-sex relationship. While this change offers a dynamic role for Silber to sink her teeth into, Drinkall’s formidable acting chops feel underused as the damsel in distress."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...Suspenseful and slyly humorous, Hatcher's version is also deliciously theatrical, referencing both directly and indirectly role-playing, improvisation, scene-setting and, in one fleeting but noteworthy moment, William Shakespeare's "Richard III.""
Stage and Cinema
- Highly Recommended
"...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."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Highly Recommended
"...Dial M for Murder is a masterfully crafted suspense novel written by the English playwright and screenwriter Frederick Major Paull Knott. Renowned for his elaborate crime plots, Knott skillfully keeps the readers intertwined with his gripping narrative, filled with suspense and intrigue throughout the novel. Add one of the greatest cinematic adaptation legends, Alfred Hitchcock, one of the most influential figures in cinematic history, and you get to see the making of one of the greatest classics ever written and produced."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...There is nothing like a mystery. Let’s face it, many of us love watching the “Law and Order” shows on TV, and if we think back in time, the series, like “Columbo” and even “Perry Mason”. Perhaps Alfred Hitchcock brought us some of the best of the best when it came to murder mysteries, and one of his films “Dial M For Murder” (1954)starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly and Robert Cummings, based on the novel by Frederick Knott, has been adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher with some slight changes for today’s theater audiences."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Adam Immerwahr’s tension-filled Thriller will give theatergoers the shivers and, as the worried observer, will keep them on the edge of their seats. His exquisite production of Jeffrey Hatcher’s contemporary adaptation of Frederick Knott’s original murder mystery is filled with multiple unexpected twists and turns that keeps audiences guessing. A most talented cast moves the story along at a brisk pace, always surprising the audience by introducing startling, new details and characters. Audiences will find themselves glued to this tension-filled melodrama as the tension builds and the stakes keep rising until the final, unexpected moments. For the theatergoer who loves the genre, this is one exciting theatrical Thriller that should not miss!"
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Something wicked is winding its way through the velvet curtains of Drury Lane Theatre-and it reeks of roses, red wine, and murder. Dial M for Murder, the classic thriller originally crafted by Frederick Knott in 1952 and immortalized on screen by Alfred Hitchcock in 1954, returns to the stage with a razor-sharp adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher that's as stylish as it is sinister."
PicksInSix
- Highly Recommended
"...What comes to mind when you hear or see the title “Dial M for Murder?” The popular Alfred Hitchcock film starring Ray Miland and Grace Kelly, correct? Well, that may be no more; the production currently running at the Drury Lane Theatre Oakbrook is the one to remember now. Written in 1952 by English playwright Frederick Knott, Drury Lane’s chilling production—a tight, carefully orchestrated, thriller—has gone one step farther with Jeffrey Hatcher’s compelling adaptation."
NewCity Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...The hallmarks of a good "whodunit" are murder, intrigue and more twists and turns than Lower Wacker Drive, all of which are adeptly presented in Drury Lane Theatre's "Dial M for Murder," running through October 26, a fresh take on the play by Frederick Knott that took the world by storm before becoming an iconic motion picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Directed by Adam Immerwahr, this new adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher keeps the core elements of the story intact but with many changes, small and large, that produce a concentrated and fast-paced experience."
