PORTLAND – The Portland Players will present “Dial M for Murder,” by Frederick Knott, Friday, April 8, through Sunday, April 17. The play was originally scheduled to open today but had to be postponed a week because the lead actor, Kevan Patriquin, had to fly to Los Angeles due to a medical emergency in his family.

His role will be assumed by Mark Honan, a professional actor and Affiliate Artist with The Portland Stage Company. Anyone with tickets for April 1, 2 or 3 should call the box office, at 799-7337, to arrange an exchange.

This British story centers around a suave ex-tennis pro named Tony Wendice, who meticulously plots his socialite wife’s murder because she’s having an affair with an American mystery writer.

The writer has just returned to London and Wendice fears his wife will leave him, taking her fortune with her. Having spent a year setting up the “perfect” crime, he blackmails a college acquaintance into carrying out the murder. When things go awry, Wendice sees a way to turn events to his advantage and then finds himself in a cat-and-mouse struggle with a skeptical and tenacious police inspector.

The show is directed by Michael Rafkin.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Portland Players performances are at 420 Cottage Road in South Portland.

Tickets are $19, $17 for seniors and children. All tickets are $16 on opening night. All students through high school pay $6 to see the Sunday, April 3, show. For tickets, call the box office.