Curve Theatre, Leicester – until Saturday 3rd August 2024
Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh
5*****
Scrap thoughts of any other of The 39 Steps you may have seen. Very loosely based on the classic 1935 Alfred Hitchcock adaption of Buchan’s novel, his production isn’t moody or somber, its hilariously clever and utterly brilliant! We follow reluctant but dashing hero, Richard Hannay, a truly British bachelor, mundanely meandering in London. But, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious lady at the theatre, he becomes embroiled in a deadly plot of espionage, and is plunged into a nightmarish escape for his life, and a fight to clear his name, as he is suspected of murder. He traverses his way through the Scottish Highlands, meets an array of quirky characters, and gets himself into some rather sticky situations in an attempt to find out the true meaning behind the 39 Steps, before it is too late.
Patrick Barlow’s production is a fantastically frenetic triumph which sees 4 actors playing multiple roles switching before your eyes. The energy, skill and effort are astounding, when combined with the entertainment factor you have a winner. It’s like pure magic. The script is superb, every joke lands because the comedy timing is impeccable. The physical comedy is phenomenal and doesn’t end once the character has finished their speaking part, every actor fully embraces every role, only finishing when they have left the stage, which is mind blowing when you think 4 actors play 150 characters, sometimes simultaneously.
Directors Maria Aitken, Nicola Samer and Toby Sedgwick do an amazing job to bring the performance alive and along with set and costume designer Peter McKintosh and Lighting Designer Ian Scott, they incorporate some truly innovative techniques with no repetition. Fast paced and fun, yet there was minimal set, much of it was brought on by the cast. There were train chases, car chases, costume changes, climbing in and out of windows, wandering in and out of doors, parties, windy moors, speedy costume and accent changes, shadow puppets, miniature trains, gunshots, flying bodies, homages to Hitchcock, this list is not exhaustive.
Maddie Rice and Eugene McCoy are incredible as the two ‘Clowns’. Playing the majority of the multiple roles, they seamlessly switch between vastly different characters within moments. They are laugh out loud funny and truly talented. They may switch into a character for only a few seconds, but they are fully that character, the accent, the mannerisms, the lot. It’s incredible and has to be seen to be understood. Tom Byrne as Richard Hannay is completely endearing as the reluctant, awkward, but completely loveable British gent. The perfect leading man, and lead he did, taking on the majority of the storytelling he commanded the stage and played the funny straight man wonderfully. Safeena Ladha as his independent leading lady shone. Handling deftly all three of the main female roles, Ladha gave each of them an individual roundedness, but it was the connection between Pamela and Hannay which perfectly captures that quintessential English repression and properness of the time, and we were left wondering, would these two tell each other how they feel? So many mysteries to solve in this play.
The 39 Steps is a rip-roaring romp of a rendition. There is so much to love about it. Its fun and funny, full of energy and laughter, innovative and chock full of imagination, a visual delight and utterly heartwarming. Everything a great night at theatre ought to be.