Frederick Knott’s Dial M for Murder started life as play on the BBC in 1952, before transferring to the London stage and then to Broadway to great acclaim. But it is, of course, best known now for Alfred’s Hitchcock’s 1954 film, starring Grace Kelly, shot in colour and (I kid you not) in 3D, which was briefly all the rage.

No doubt it was Hitchcock’s name that attracted many of us in the packed first-night audience – plus, of course, our love of a jolly good murder mystery. However, the play is not so much a whodunit as a whydunit and a howdunit and, of course, will the attempt at murder succeed and the murderer get away with it?

But the play is darker than a standard cosy murder. That was why it attracted Hitchcock, and Lucy Bailey’s direction acknowledges this dark reality. From the first view of the stage, we know we are in dangerous territory. It is a simple set – desk, sofa, chairs – but dramatic red drapes alternatively act as solid, claustrophobic walls, and at other times as see-through veils which allow us to glimpse the outside action.

The story itself is clearly presented. We learn early on of Tony Wendice’s intentions. He plots. He manipulates. He is, apparently, in control. But as in all good crime stories, just as you think you know where it is all going, the writer pulls the rug from under you. He is in this case aided by a strong cast of five, including the experienced Christopher Timothy as Inspector Hubbard. Hubbard is an understated and yet insightful detective, much closer to Priestley’s Inspector Goole than Christie’s Inspector Japp.

The production is greatly enhanced by the lighting and sound, not least in the one scene of violent action that grips as tight as a boa constrictor. Add to this the often dissonant music, which highlights the moments of tension and drama, and we are presented with a superb evening of entertainment.

Don’t miss it if you want a good evening out, but I suspect tickets may be in short supply.