Cast & Creative Team Set for DIAL M FOR MURDER at The Guthrie Theater

The Guthrie Theater has revealed the cast and creative team for Dial M for Murder, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott. Under the direction of Guthrie Senior Artistic Producer Tracy Brigden, Dial M for Murder thrusts audiences into a minutely crafted thriller as the plot grows thicker with each passing minute. Previews begin Saturday, January 20 on the Wurtele Thrust Stage. The show opens Friday, January 26 and will play through Sunday, February 25. Single and group tickets are now on sale through the Box Office or online at guthrietheater.org. Accessibility services (ASL-interpreted, audio-described and open-captioned performances) are also available on select dates.

Artistic Director Joseph Haj commented, “Dial M for Murder already stands as a riveting and suspenseful piece of drama. The story has kept audiences on the edge of their seats for over seven decades, and it’s no mystery why — the cunning storytelling and rapid execution craft the perfect thriller.” Haj continues, "Under the expert guidance of Director Tracy Brigden, this modern adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher will surely delight audiences as they follow the clues to the play's thrilling conclusion.”

Dial M for Murder began as the brainchild of British writer and playwright Frederick Knott, who was a specialist in crime-related drama. After the play premiered in 1952 on BBC Television, followed by stage runs in London’s West End and on Broadway that same year, Dial M for Murderwas adapted for the 1954 film, which was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and starred Ray Milland and Grace Kelly as Tony and Margot Wendice. 

This gripping adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher returns the story to London, where we meet Maxine, who is in town promoting her new murder mystery. Maxine drops in on her former lover Margot, who shares some distressing news: She’s being blackmailed for a love letter from Maxine that went missing after their affair ended. Margot thinks her husband Tony is none the wiser, but he knows everything — and then some. In fact, his yearlong plan to have Margot murdered will commence the next night, thanks to an airtight alibi. But when Margot kills her assailant in self-defense, Tony’s plot takes an unexpected turn. This clever, fast-paced adaptation adds extra layers to the iconic tale, making the “Will he get away with it?” question even more thrilling. 

The cast of Dial M for Murder includes Brian Thomas Abraham (Guthrie: debut) as Inspector Hubbard, Gretchen Egolf (Guthrie: A Streetcar Named Desire) as Margot Wendice, Peter Christian Hansen (Guthrie: Murder on the Orient Express, Freud’s Last Session, Clybourne Park) as Lesgate, David Andrew Macdonald (Guthrie: debut) as Tony Wendice and Lori Vega (Guthrie: debut) as Maxine Hadley. 

The creative team includes Jeffrey Hatcher (Adapter), Frederick Knott (Author), Tracy Brigden (Director), Walt Spangler (Scenic Designer), Valérie Thérèse Bart (Costume Designer), Xavier Pierce (Lighting Designer), John Gromada (Sound Designer/Composer), Keely Wolter (Vocal Coach), Aaron Preusse (Fight Director), Doug Scholz-Carlson (Intimacy), Jennifer Liestman (Resident Casting Director), Karl Alphonso (Stage Manager), Kathryn Sam Houkom (Assistant Stage Manager), Vanessa Brooke Agnes (Assistant Director) and McCorkle Casting, Ltd. (NYC Casting Consultant). 

Jeffrey Hatcher 

(Adapter) is a local playwright, adapter and screenwriter whose plays have been produced on Broadway, off-Broadway and in theaters around the U.S. and the world. He wrote the book for Never Gonna Dance on Broadway, and his off-Broadway credits include Three Viewingsand A Picasso at Manhattan Theatre Club; The Government Inspector and The Alchemist at Red Bull Theater; Scotland Road and The Turn of the Screw at Primary Stages; Lucky Duck (book with Bill Russell) at New Victory Theater; and Tuesdays With Morrie (with Mitch Albom) at Minetta Lane Theatre. Other plays and theaters include Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Mrs. Mannerly, Murderers, Cousin Bette, Smash, Key Largo (with Andy Garcia), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Holmes and Watson, A Confederacy of Dunces and others at the Guthrie Theater, Geffen Playhouse, The Old Globe, Yale Repertory Theatre, Seattle Rep, The Huntington, South Coast Repertory, Arizona Theatre Company, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Illusion Theater, Denver Center, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Rep, Northlight Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Actors Theater of Louisville and more. Film credits include Stage Beauty, Casanova, The Duchess, Mr. Holmes and The Good Liar, plus TV episodes of “Columbo” and “The Mentalist.” Hatcher is the recipient of countless awards and fellowships, including NEA, TCG, Lila Wallace Fund, Rosenthal New Play Prize, Frankel Award, Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award, McKnight Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Barrymore Award for Best New Play and 2013 Ivey Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a member and/or alumnus of the Playwrights’ Center, New Dramatists and Dramatists Guild. 

Frederick Knott 

(Author) was a British writer once described by The New York Times as a “notoriously unprolific playwright.” He crafted just three plays in his career, all of which were thrillers: Dial M for Murder (1952), Write Me a Murder (1961) and Wait Until Dark (1966). After leaving the Royal Artillery in 1946, he wrote Dial M for Murder over the course of 18 months. It was rejected by several theater producers until the BBC made it a television series in 1952. A subsequent stage production in London led to the play being staged on Broadway by the end of that same year, running for 16 months. The Hitchcock film premiered in 1954, and Knott died in New York City in 2002.

Tracy Brigden 

(Director) has over 20 years of experience in off-Broadway and regional theater as a versatile artistic leader with an extensive knowledge of the new play development and production processes. As a director, she has an expertise and passion for creating new plays and musicals. As a writer, her work has been produced on the stage, on the screen and for earbuds. Brigden served as the Artistic Director for City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh for 16 years before accepting the position as Senior Artistic Producer for the Guthrie Theater in 2022. She has served as a freelance director working around the country on new plays, including the American premiere of Oil (Olney Theatre Center), A Doll's House, Part 2 (Arden Theatre Company) and The Roommate (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) and Brigden holds a B.S. in Theatre from Northwestern University and an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Point Park University in Pittsburgh.

Dial M for Murder is sponsored by Lathrop GPM.

Related Events

Post-Play Discussions 
Patrons are invited to stay in the theater following select performances for a 20-minute conversation about the production facilitated by Guthrie staff. Cast members may join the discussion as they are able. Post-play discussions are supported by Fredrikson & Byron.  

Sunday, January 28 at 1 p.m.
Tuesday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m. 
Sunday, February 4 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 10 at 1 p.m.
Saturday, February 17 at 1 p.m. 

Accessible Performances

ASL-Interpreted Performances 
American Sign Language interpreters sign the performance as it plays out onstage. 

Friday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. 

Audio-Described Performances
Audio describers provide live verbal descriptions of the action, costumes and scenery for people who are blind or have low vision. 

Saturday, February 17 at 1 p.m. 
Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. 

Open-Captioned Performances 
LED screens display text simultaneously with the performance onstage. 

Sunday, February 11 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 14 at 1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 21 at 1 p.m.
Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 24 at 1 p.m. 

The Guthrie also offers ASL-interpreted, audio-described and open-captioned performances upon request. Requests must be received at least two weeks in advance. 

Ticket Information 

Single tickets start at $29 for previews (January 20–25). All other performances range from $34 to $82. Single and group tickets (minimum requirement of 15 per group) may be purchased through the Box Office at 612.377.2224 (single), 1.877.447.8243 (toll-free), 612.225.6244 (group) or online at guthrietheater.org. 

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