Dial M for Murder (Hatcher)
by Jeffrey Hatcher, Frederick Knott

"Dial M for Murder gets an A+ for adaptation... this update of the original 1952 stage show has all the best aspects of the famous 1954 Hitchcock film – gorgeous pacing, gorgeous dialogue, and a gorgeous blonde – with the heightened stakes of live theater."

— Vanguard Culture

"Clever, funny and fast-paced... Even if you’ve seen Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film adaptation of the Frederick Knott teleplay, you’ll want to see this smartly updated adaptation that has many surprise twists... Hatcher has kept the play in its original period — 1950s London — but has trimmed some of the outdated language and tightened up overlong speeches of plot exposition. But his most intriguing changes are the gender of the third character in the story’s love triangle and the central character’s occupation — both of which heighten the stakes for the play’s characters... Dial M lives up to its reputation as midcentury thriller, but seen through Hatcher’s fresh eyes, it’s also timeless."

— San Diego Union-Tribune

"Brings some modern touches, and a sly intelligence to this adaption... A smart script... and some twists bring a new life to this classic murder mystery."

— Broadway World

"Wonderfully theatrical... The pace is quicker, the dialogue is snappier, the women are smarter and more complex. But the motive for murder remains the same."

— The Times of San Diego

"Hatcher’s modern amendments to Frederick Knott’s original, murderous play-turned-movie-turned-play include a same-sex affair, yet he sets it realistically in the time period. Hatcher’s discourse dances on the tightrope between tension and relief without losing sight of the grounding, realistic reasons for a person to commit murder. What’s more, he does it all with wry humor that feels British while still appealing to an American audience."

— Vanguard Culture