Dial M for MacGuffin, presented by New York City’s Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble (IRTE) and directed by Pat Shay, is a fully improvised theatrical experience inspired by the cinematic style of the great Alfred Hitchcock.  The show, which could conceivably be different every single performance (!), describes itself as blending suspense with comedy.  That said, this zany production– now playing at Manhattan’s The Producer’s Club, leans FAR more on the comedy.  In its 90-minute running time, Dial M for MacGuffin features manipulation, shifting loyalties, mistaken identities, poisoning, and several misfired guns… but all of it is done with a laugh. 

The characters in Dial M for MacGuffin are: (1) Dr. Isenfrost (Nannette Deasy), a psychoanalyst who could use some quality time on the couch herself; (2) Hank Hankerstein (John Daniel Meehan), a dedicated but somewhat scatterbrained police chief/detective/sargeant/patrol person whose gun randomly (and frequently) goes off; (3) Ethyl Glycol (Sam Katz), an airy-voiced blonde who comes across as harmless and innocent, but whom we suspect may not be quite as sweet as she presents herself to be; (4) Ernest Thompson (Pat Shay), a hard-working, good-old-boy type who’s just too trusting for this batch of crazies; and (5) Bonnie Brown (Natalie Hunter), a reporter who is, to put it in old language, “in a delicate way”.  That said, neither the audience nor Bonnie herself knows who the Daddy is (Long story shirt, she “Mamma Mia“‘d…).  It may be Hank Hankerstein.  It may be Ernest Thompson.  Or maybe it is (6) Jacob Ladder (Robert Baumgardner), who serves as Narrator for this show but who also occasionally gets pulled into the goings-on himself. And of course, there’s (7) Lucille Porter (Evie Aronson) the wealthy widow who just loves to throw tony parties, which is always an oh-so-convenient way to get the entire cast together for cocktails and murder  hors d’oeuvres.   The characters speak in expository dialogue, with the utmost importance seemingly placed on every word: Even when what they are saying is completely ridiculous (which is often…), it’s said in the utmost manneristic and polite fashion. If this is starting to sound like the cast of characters in a “film noir” from the Hollywood of old, you are correct!    

How much you like absurdist comedy– and in this case, the comedy often gets VERY absurd– will determine how much you’ll like Dial M for MacGuffin.  The biggest asset of this show is the diverse personalities of the cast.  Each one of these actors has a very distinct persona and a distinct skill set to play a certain “type”. As you may have guessed by now, almost all of these kooky characters are W-A-Y over the top.  Only (8) Frank the cook (Vikki Martin) bears any kind of resemblance to a normal person.  It seems like the “straight man” can sometimes be best played by… a woman!  Best of all, the entire cast really looks like they are having fun.  The intimate stage and the intentional lack of the proverbial “fourth wall” really suit this piece well.  The show is also enlivened by two musical numbers by Vikki Martin.  One of them is a lush, provocative take on Radiohead’s megahit Creep.  Martin (way) more than does it justice!  

I won’t give too much more away, but I will say that there was a VERY campy Hitchcockian conclusion at the end of Dial M for MacGuffin (I should add, on the night I saw it…)– which, of course, fit this production perfectly.

IRTE’s Dial M for MacGuffin will continue through Saturday, June 27th at The Producers Club, located at 358 West 44th Street in New York City. Tickets are priced at $20 in advance online and $25 cash at the door.  Tickets and additional information are available at irteinfo.com.