The Studio Theatre’s Dial M for Murder enters the final week of its three-week run tonight.
“The play is going well,” says director Michael Rawluk. “It was pretty stressful getting through the rehearsal period with all the new seats going in and new carpet and new paint but once it got to the run, things really perked up.”
He says audiences have loved the new seats and the new look of the theatre with the walls all black and new carpet donated by United Floors.
“It feels more than ever like a theatre,” Rawluk says. “Audiences have really liked the show and have been talking it up.”
Dial M for Murder pairs some veteran Studio Theatre actors with newcomers to the stage.
Written by Frederick Knott Dial M for Murder revolves around ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice who wants to have his wealthy wife, Margot, murdered so he can get his hands on her inheritance.
When he discovers her affair with Mark Halliday, he comes up with the perfect plan to kill her. He blackmails an old acquaintance into carrying out the murder, but the carefully-orchestrated set-up goes awry.
Terry Lyons, who made his debut on stage in Sense and Sensibility a year or so ago, plays Tony Wendice.
While he has never plotted the murder of a loved one in real life, Lyons says he has planned many Nerf gun attacks and is sure that the two are closely related enough to get into the mind of his character.
After more than a decade of enjoying her children’s Maranatha Players’ performances, Johanna West decided it was finally time to get on stage herself and auditioned and won the role of Margot Wendice.
She says that trying to channel her inner Grace Kelly while portraying the character of Margot has been a thrill.
She thanks director Mike Rawluk and her fellow cast members and stage crew for making her first role with the Studio Theatre such a great experience.
After three seasons working off stage, trying his hand at and winning awards for lighting and directing for Over the River, Glengary Glen Ross and Proof, Shane Tollefson is back on stage as Max Halliday. He says he has been excited and honoured to be directed by award winner Michael Rawluk, and will use everything he learns from Rawluk in directing this season’s zone festival entry Death Defying Acts in May 2016.
A noted set builder and actor with the club, Tony Savile takes on several roles in Dial M for Murder, most of them invisible characters heard on the telephone or BBC radio broadcast and just two lines on stage as a police officer “sir” and yes sir.
Brad Lawryk, returns to the stage as Chief Inspector Hubbard. His last role was as Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond four and a half years ago.
But since then he has been very active behind the scenes and as the co-lead in the Studio Theatre’s Improv Group.
Matt Dressler plays Captain Lesgate/Pendleton.
As a member of the audience Matt has been amazed over the years by the quality of productions staged by the Williams Lake Studio Theatre and is excited and proud to be working with veterans of the lakecity theatre and grateful for their help and support in bringing to life the first production of the WLSTs 65th season.
Dial M for Murder is on stage tonight and finishes its run this Saturday evening, Nov. 28.
Tickets are available at Aboutface Photography and The Open Book.