Dial M For Murder (Ensemble Theatre) ★★★★

Written by Frederick Knott. Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher. Australian Premiere. Ensemble Theatre. 28 Nov 2025 – 11 Jan 2026.

Ensemble’s Christmas fare may not seem particularly festive or jolly at first glance, but Dial M for Murder is excessively fruity, rum-soaked and complex — basically a fancy Christmas pudding on stage. This is a hell of a lot of fun.

It’s 1954, and the wealthy Margot (Anna Samson) has been having an affair with murder-mystery novelist Maxine (Madeleine Jones). After calling things off, she has no clue that her husband Tony (Garth Holcombe) has discovered their love letters and is secretly blackmailing her.

But he’s not going to stop there. Tony has devised a cunning plan to have someone murder his wife so he can inherit her fortune. When she survives the attack and kills the assassin in self-defence, it becomes a game of cat and mouse.

As the plot ducks and weaves, Tony, Margot, Maxine and Inspector Hubbard (Kenneth Moraleda) all try to outwit one another. The audience goes on a roller-coaster ride of traps and near misses — the more audacious, the better. Will Tony get away with it? Will Margot discover the truth? Will Maxine ever get her book published? Buy a ticket to find out.

Frederick Knott’s original story is a classic, carefully constructed inverted murder-mystery — the audience know who did it from the off. Beyond the plot, this production has undergone thoughtful adaptation. Jeffrey Hatcher’s updated version puts an interesting spin on things by gender-flipping Margot’s lover from the original Max to Maxine and giving Margot a little more agency.

Tony is no longer a washed-up sportsman but a literary publicist working on Maxine’s book. These changes weave the characters together in more compelling ways and freshen things up without altering the essential plot or tone.

And tone is crucial here, as Mark Kilmurry and the cast lean into the pulp fiction of mid-century thrillers without tipping into parody. Each new twist earns laughs of recognition and amusement from the crowd.

It also helps that the production is driven by an excellent cast.

Garth Holcombe’s Tony is deliciously two-faced; his avarice and intelligence make it easy to relish the prospect of his downfall.

Anna Samson — wonderful to have back on stage after the success of her equally murderous TV hit — makes Margot far more than a passive, deceived housewife. She teeters on the verge of realisation, pulling the audience with her as she hunts for explanations.

Madeleine Jones brings a touch of erudite-lesbian strength to Maxine, whose sharp mind keeps probing for the plot holes in Tony’s story. Together, this formerly romantic triangle circle each other’s suspicions, each looking for an advantage.

But the real cherry on top of this forensically constructed treat is Kenneth Moraleda’s slightly askew Inspector Hubbard. Like all great fictional detectives, he has a tone all his own — a kind of professional insincerity that becomes his superpower. His refusal to get caught up in the melodrama, combined with cheerfully deadpan manoeuvring, makes him a true stand-out.

Pardon the obvious pun, but Dial M for Murder is bloody good fun. It feels as though everyone involved — from Mark Kilmurry’s direction through Nick Fry’s set, Matt Cox’s lighting, Madeleine Picard’s sound and the cast — is having a terrific time and bringing that joyful energy to the stage.

This is a genius piece of programming for year’s end, guaranteed to have you laughing and cheering by the bows.