Photo Credit: https://www.ensemble.com.au/shows/dial-m-for-murder/
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Dial M for Murder: Two Mums, One Night Off, Zero Regrets
My girlfriend and I FINALLY got a night away from the kids, which honestly felt like we’d won a radio competition. We practically sprinted out the door before anyone could ask, “What’s for dinner?” or “Where are my shoes?” (Answer: WHERE YOU LEFT THEM, TIMMY.)
We hit Ensemble Theatre like two women who hadn’t seen adult civilisation in years. Ordered drinks so fast the bar staff actually blinked. Then off we went to watch Dial M for Murder, which we mostly chose because the word “murder” felt relatable after a week of school drop-offs.
The theatre is tiny and adorable, like someone’s stylish inner-city apartment — but with better lighting and fewer random piles of laundry. We sat down, took a breath, and said, “This already feels like therapy.”
Now, the husband in the play? Ohhhhhh, this man. He had peak “I’ve Googled ONE TED Talk on manipulation and now I’m an expert” energy. His master murder plan was so complicated that both of us immediately agreed:
A mum would never.
A mum would have made a list, colour-coded it, and the whole thing would be done by intermission.
The wife? Icon. Queen. She handled the chaos with the grace of a woman who’s had to put kids to bed while her partner says, “Do you need help?” from the couch.
And the detective? He had the same vibe as a GP trying to explain for the 47th time that your child’s rash is “probably just viral.”
At one point, the tension was SO intense that my friend grabbed my arm and shrieked — which made ME shriek — which then made the man in front of us jump. It was basically a Mexican wave of mum panic.
The whole thing was gripping, clever, and honestly funnier than it had any right to be considering it’s technically about murder. We left the theatre feeling ALIVE. You know that rare, magical feeling of returning home after 10pm and thinking, “Wow, I still remember how to be a person”?
That.
Final thoughts?
If you need a night out that feels equal parts thrilling, dramatic, and like a quiet rebellion against domestic life, GO SEE IT. Preferably with a girlfriend who will absolutely whisper things like, “This man needs a chore chart, not a murder plot.”