Tag Archives: Frederick Knott

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Alastair Whatley Reviewer: Bill Avenell The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford has a deserved reputation for quality productions but unfortunately, this touring production from The Original Theatre Company falls short of its usual high standards in this revival of Frederick Knott’s 1966 thriller. Some of the blame lies with the choice of play which has dated ...

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Ian Craddock Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Tony Wendice might well muse that, in the words of Rabbie Burns, “The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley”. After spending months scheming to get an old university pal to agree to murder Wendice’s wife, Margot, in the perfect murder, he has all bases covered. He has ...

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Lucy Bailey Reviewer: Lauren Humphreys Those theatre-goers lured by the draw of the nameAlfred Hitchcock attached to this productionwill not be disappointed by this, the stage original. Indeed, Hitchcock filmed his first colour movie almost word for word from Alfred Knott’s adaptation of his own play and despite claims by director Lucy Bailey that rather thanseeking ...

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Lucy Bailey Reviewer: Chris Williams Going in to this production of Dial M for Murder one wonders how many members of the audience know that this famous Hitchcock, Grace Kelly-starrer – that even utilised gimmicky 3D – started life as a stage play. In this age of classic TV and films being rewritten for the stage ...

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Lucy Bailey Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Glancing at the posters for Dial M for Murder, one might imagine this is the latest in a line of plays adapted from successful films. In fact, that would be the very opposite of the truth: the play was written over sixty years ago before being adapted by the playwright for ...

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Lucy Bailey Reviewer: Craig Hepworth Alfred Hitchcock’sDial M for Murder, that’s how the new touring version of the classic stage thriller is billed, somewhat misleading considering the stage play by writer Frederick Knott came first, clearly this is a marketing tool to get people through the door, but once inside does the play drum up a ...

Writer: Frederick Knott Director: Lucy Bailey Reviewer: Pete Benson Dial M for Murder is a murder mystery play written by Frederick Knott which was then thrust onto the international stage by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film starring Ray Milland and Grace Kelly in the lead rôles. Even though the play is now over sixty years old, the director Lucy Bailey does ...

Author: Frederick Knott Director: Lucy Bailey Reviewer: David Noble When confronted by swelling saxophone licks and the slow rumble of percussion, you immediately think: noir – and this is exactly the mood Lucy Bailey is trying to create in her production of ‘Dial M for Murder’. It’s all there: an intensely red set straight out of the David Lynch catalogue, ...