Review: The 39 Steps

I missed this inspired piece of slapstick when it premiered at The Arts Centre last year, so was delighted to get another chance to see it, albeit in a new production, which is now showing until February 14.

Written by Patrick Barlow and based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film (which is in turn based on John Buchan's novel The Thirty-Nine Steps, first published in 1915) it tells the story of Richard Hannay (played by Mark Pegler), a stiff-upper lipped sort of chap who blunders into a spy ring, gets framed for murder, and is chased across Britain by the police - sometimes with a young woman, Pamela (one of several roles played by Helen Christinson) handcuffed to his wrist.

Four actors play the story's 100+ characters, with Russell Fletcher and the wonderfully adaptive Jo Turner taking on almost all of the roles, everything from the mysterious figures watching Hannay's apartment from beneath a streetlamp (which they carry on and off stage with them as they come and go) to the policemen who are hot on his trail. The pair's reflexes and timing when swapping hats and roles before our eyes is breathtaking, and coupledwith an adaptive and inventive use of relatively low-fi props, taps directly into the play's spirit, which both satirises and faithfully recreates the minutea of Hitchcock's film - as well as referencing almost every other Hitchcock film ever made.

One especially hilarious scene is played out with puppets in silhouette behind a white sheet, and includes an obvious North by Northwest moment, while the film's archtypal chase on and over a train is played with dexterity and skill.

Director Sioban Tuke mostly maintained the pace set in the original production by Maria Aitken (this is a franchise of that original), although on opening night there were two longer, talk-heavy scenes that faintly dragged; but for the most part this was a delightfully funny, beautifully played and wonderfully ridiculous concoction that I highly recommend.

The 39 Steps at The Arts Centre, in association with the MTC.
www.love39steps.com