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A playful and enjoyable piece of theatre based on a classic film: a “Good evening” of entertainment!
Summary
Rating
Good
The 39 Steps can be enjoyed at many levels. Firstly, it is a great piece of theatre, using traditional stage devices that wouldn’t work anywhere else; I especially enjoyed the steam train! On another level you can marvel at the playfulness and comedic timing of the cast of four actors who, it’s claimed, play 139 characters! I can’t confirm this figure myself, but it was certainly an impressive number. Finally, any Alfred Hitchcock fans will enjoy the Monty Python-esque reworking of the film from 1935, along with the many references to Hitchock’s other cinematic hits in dialogue, visual motifs and musically, using some of the score from his movies. There is even a shadowy appearance by the director himself, just like in his film and TV work.
Tom Byrne is Richard Hannay, the central character around whom the events of the story revolves, and because of this he is the only actor who doesn’t play other roles. Safeena Ladha takes on the parts of three woman that Hannay encounters and becomes involved with during the 90 minutes of this play’s duration. The other actors, Eugene McCoy and Maddie Rice are named as ‘Clown 1’ and ‘Clown 2’ in the cast list and they take on these tasks with great aplomb. McCoy and Rice appear as the remaining 135 characters, sometimes playing multiple roles in the same scene. It is all done with great humour and many nods to the audience, playfully drawing out laughter and sometimes reworking a device to heighten the humorous impact.
All the performances are supported by great lighting (Ian Scott), sound (Mic Pool), set design and costumes (Peter McKintosh). Some costumes are stripped back enough to succinctly hint at a character and enable the rapid changes between roles required by the aforementioned clowns. All the actors perform without microphones, which evidences another theatre skill, stage projection, and this works perfectly in the wonderful Queen’s Theatre setting.
The original production began in 1996 and was rewritten by Patrick Barlow in 2005. It has been extremely successful and has won many awards, having long runs in the West End and on Broadway. But I do wonder if the show now needs another refresh. I really enjoyed its quaintness, and the stripped back look works well, but will audiences will keep coming, given the competition and the ticket prices involved? There is no denying that the cast demonstrate their craft with great dexterity; that the premise of the play is well executed and the energy of the show is playful and engaging. However, I felt there was something lacking which is needed to ensure that this production continues to climb and doesn’t stumble and fall flat.
Original novel written by John Buchan
Inspired by the film by Alfred Hitchcock
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
Original Concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon
Directed by Maria Aitken
Tour Directed by Nicola Sager
Set and Costume Designed by Peter McKintosh
Lighting Designed by Ian Scott
Sound Designed by Mic Pool
Movement Direction by Toby Sedgwick
The 39 Steps is currently running at Queen’s Theatre until 30 March. Further information and bookings can be found here.
