Charlotte Foster, Page Klopfenstein, and John Chambers Photo by Gosia Matuszewska

I love a good mystery. I love it when they give me the chills. There's nothing better than a Hitchcock classic to keep you glued to the action on stage, watching for clues. The hook. The key piece of evidence left behind. The sideways glance at just the right moment. The low point. The red herring. And, of course, the big reveal. Agatha Christie, Alfred Hitchcock, the Knives Out films, "Columbo," "Poker Face." There's nothing better.

From start to finish, Oil Lamp's production of Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller is a first-rate mystery. Daniel King's direction is sharp. The ensemble is outstanding. Spencer Donovan's set and Taylor Pfenning's costumes take us on a trip back in time straight into a Hitchcock masterpiece. And the venue is the perfect fit for this up-close-and-personal, cunning, edge-of-your-seat thriller.

From the moment we meet Margot Wendice (Paige Klopfenstein) and her lover, the mystery writer, Maxine Hadley (Charlotte Foster), it's clear Daniel King is a big fan of the genre. Throughout the show, King holds close to his love of the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock original: a close-up look at an intricate, diabolical murder plan in a marriage filled with dark secrets. But King also brings a modern feel, highlighting pivotal moments in the narrative to deploy clever modern twists on the original design. With Rick Reid's sound design heightening the intensity and Rachel D. Hemm's shrewd use of lighting, the play grabs us and holds us through the twists and turns to a gripping end.

As an "inverted" detective thriller (a la "Columbo" and "Poker Face"), more howdunnit than whodunnit, the play relies on the skill of an ensemble that feels straight out of Hitchcock.

John Chambers gives a killer performance as Tony Wendice, the at-once charming and cunning husband, seemingly unaware of his wife's affair. Chambers is perfect for the role. He looks like he's straight out of the 1950s. Thin and razor-sharp, with features made for the genre, he's by turns funny and absolutely devilish. I'd say more, but why spoil your fun? Just buy a ticket.

As Margot, Page Klopfenstein is the perfect juxtaposition for Chambers. Sweet but longing, innocent but not entirely, she nails the role of the complicated victim. Klopfenstein shines as the all-at-once lovely wife and secret lover, cast about by fate, but tougher than she looks.

James Sparling and Robert Austin Love both shine in their roles as Inspector Hubbard and Lesgate. Sparling plays the detective who knows more than he lets on perfectly; Love gets us to feel for him despite his checkered past as Tony's less-than-reputable classmate drawn into the mess.

And Charlotte Foster nearly steals the show as Maxine, Margot's lover and Tony's client, the mystery writer turned detective. I won't spoil it for you, but believe me when I say Foster gets it all just right.

Last but not least, the show is absolutely perfect for the Oil Lamp. It's a gorgeous little theater, a really fun place to see a show, and when it comes to setting the stage for a killer mystery, I couldn't think of a better crime scene. The quaint feel of the theater puts us right in the apartment with a cast of broken souls, each with something to hide, as the murder unfolds.

In his 1954 review for Hitchcock's film, Bosley Crowther (what a name for a critic!) wrote: "The planting and raising of goose-pimples requires a certain theatrical skill... However, there is some significance in the fact that both verdant specimens do draw on a rich manure of murder for the lushness of their cool and prickly fruit. For murder, a universal substance, is still the most fertile soil out of which to fetch goose-pimple blossoms and graft them onto anybody's skin... The reason is fairly obvious. Murder is full of dread. Nothing is more abundant in the chemicals of fear. It is waxen, cold and clammy, loaded with the elements of doom."

Sounds about right.

Here's my 2026 version of Crowther's "goose-pimples": At the end of Oil Lamp's Dial M for Murder, I got chills.

Dial M for Murder runs through November 1, 2026, at Oil Lamp Theater, 1723 Glenview Road, Glenview IL. For tickets and information, please visit www.oillamptheater.org.