Veteran Australian actress Anna Samson is making a return to live theatre – by turning up the heat in a ‘sexed-up’ new stage production of an Alfred Hitchcock classic.

The Home and Away favourite, 35, has taken on the lead role of Margot in a bold new production of the classic Dial M for Murder at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, and co-star Garth Holcombe tells Daily Mail that working alongside her has been electric.

‘The great thing is Anna has done so much screen work and has also just come off the back of other stage productions in Sydney. She is very adept and knows what she is doing with us,’ Garth said.

The classic thriller has been given a provocative 2025 update, with swapped characters, sharper sexual politics and a modern edge that promises to thrill audiences while keeping the classic tension intact.

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Before rehearsals even began, the pair bonded over a ‘cheeky’ pre-rehearsal dinner – a small gesture Garth says was key to developing their bond.

‘I think that is a really lovely thing to do… really important when you are starting to build a relationship, trust and rapport with another actor,’ he said.

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Veteran Australian actress Anna Samson is making a return to live theatre by turning up the heat in a ‘sexed-up’ new stage production of an Alfred Hitchcock classic. Pictured with co-star Garth Holcombe

The Home and Away favourite has taken on the lead role of Margot in a bold new production of the classic Dial M for Murder at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre, and co-star Garth Holcombe tells Daily Mail that working alongside her has been electric

The veteran performer plays the villainous Tony, who plots to murder his wife Margot, played by Anna, in order to pocket her inheritance – and he reveals the 1952 play has been updated to bring the classic story into the modern landscape.

Garth said that audiences can expect suspense, glamour – and plenty of stage chemistry between the actors.

‘You’re going to be plunged into a pretty rollicking ride of the 1950s, with extraordinary set and costumes. It is going to be sexy, dangerous and fun,’ he said.

‘We’re not trying to replicate the film or the performances. We’re trying to build our own little world. Several characters have been switched around slightly, it is a new addition and brings it into 2025 in quite a provocative and sexy way.

‘I really adore this version of it, as it gives us a fresh reason to tell the story. It makes it a very current story, even though it is still set in 1952. The politics around it are really thrilling.

‘Some of the jigsaw pieces have been moved around and played with a little bit, in terms of sexual politics, relationships and points of view. It has been done really cleverly.’

Dial M for Murder was first written as a stage play in 1952 and two years later legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock adapted it into an iconic movie starring Grace Kelly and Ray Milland.

It continues to be performed on stages around the world after US playwright Jeffrey Hatcher gave it a modern update in 2022, on which their production is based.

The classic thriller has been given a provocative 2025 update, with swapped characters, sharper sexual politics and a modern edge that promises to thrill audiences

‘Audiences can expect the nostalgia that you come to the theatre for… it’s spine-tingling. There’s an edge of darkness to it while at the same time being rompy entertainment as well,’ Anna added in a statement.

Also in the cast are Aussie acting veterans David Soncin, Madeleine Jones and Kenneth Moraleda.

Garth is a veteran stage and screen performer with almost three decades of experience.

He has appeared in the TV shows Home and Away, Head Start, In Our Blood, and the Sydney-filmed Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie Our Lips Are Sealed.

Meanwhile, Anna appeared as Mia Anderson on Home and Away from 2021 – 2022 and currently stars as Detective Sergeant Mackenzie Clarke on the ABC drama Return to Paradise, opposite Damian Walshe-Howling.

Dial M For Murder runs at Kirribilli’s Ensemble Theatre from Friday, 28 November to Sunday, 11 January, 2026.