The 39 Steps - Harbour Theatre

‘The 39 Steps’, the classic 1915 spy novel by John Buchan has now been adapted to an absolutely hilarious comedy by Patrick Barlow. This version premiered in Leeds in 2005, and went on to win the Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 2007. It is now presented for your delight by the Harbour Theatre Group, at the Port Cineaste Building, 70 Adelaide Street, Fremantle. Performances commence at 8.00 pm. until Saturday 24^th March. The Sunday matinees are on the 11^th and 18^th at 2.00 pm.

       As the Hitchcock TV theme plays and his well-known silhouette appears, Hitchcock welcomes you to see his latest 1945 production, ‘The 39 Steps’. Set in 1935, Richard Hannay (suave Chris Thomas) is seated in his Portland Place flat, just across from Broadcasting House. He has just arrived home from a working tour of Canada and is recalling the sights, when he decides to treat himself to a night out at a West End Music Hall.

      The evening’s main act is Mr. Memory (Michael Dornan) but just as genius of recall is requesting questions from the audience, a gunshot rings out and panic erupts. Hannay’s hand is grabbed by the frightened woman seated next to him; she is Annabella Schmidt (Joanna Zukowski), the lady that fired the gun. She asks to go back to his flat for protection, and as he learns later, she is a spy and is on an assassin’s hit list. She explains that an unknown Englishman, based in a Scottish mansion, is the leader of a group called the ‘39 steps’. He is stealing British military secrets. The traitor has the tip missing from one of his fingers.

        Next morning, Hannay finds Annabella stabbed to death in his flat. Hannay flees by train to Scotland in search of the spy. On the train, he sees the police on his trail. In desperation, pretending to be with his girlfriend, he kisses the beautiful occupant of the carriage, Pamela (Joanna Zukowski). However, Pamela hands him over to the law. In panic, Hannay daringly jumps from the train onto the Forth Rail Bridge and pursued by the police, escapes.

        At a financial cost, he stays the night with a poor crofter and his young wife, who seduces our hero. The jealous crofter calls in the police, but wearing the crofter’s clothes, Hannay flees. Eventually, after trekking the wild moors, he finds the mansion of the dastardly Professor Jordan (Christopher Kenworthy) and his dour wife (Sarah Costick - superb). They are entertaining guests. After a brief conversation, Jordan shoots Hannay who collapses clutching his chest. Could our hero be dead? – End of Act 1.

       Pamela reappears, and with her partner they arrive at a small, remote hotel. How will she be received by the caring hotelier’s wife (Melissa Klimisch)? Why does everyone want to get to Mr Memory?

A generation ago, every Scottish schoolboy knew ‘The 39 Steps’ word for word, and the book was considered almost sacred. The 1935 Hitchcock film (did Hitchcock’s announcement say 1945?) was true to the book, although I preferred the 1959 Kenneth More version, both bringing real excitement to audiences before James Bond appeared.

On hearing that this classic had been turned into a comedy, and partially a musical, I dreaded seeing the desecrated result. However, the script is true to the book, hardly deviating by a word, but the delivery is different – very different. Just as in ‘Blackadder’, the acting is serious and the delivery dead-pan, whilst the chaos of deliberately exaggerated accents, erratic sound cues and faulty props prevail.

Chris Thomas was wonderful as the true English gentleman, stiff upper lip and Etonian accent, totally unflustered by the bedlam around him. There were several notable death scenes, all of which received belly laughs and applause. Joanna’s Annabella demise is especially memorable, surely the first ‘planking’ corpse! Chris Kenworthy had many varied parts, as did the whole cast, ranging from the despicable Professor to the mad bra salesman on the train. At one stage Chris disappeared at the back of the stage and rematerialised literally seconds later at the rear of the theatre, and then he reappeared at the side of the stage. How to keep fit and still look cool. The cast played dozens of characters, occasionally two or three riotously in the same scene.

In the crofter’s house, a dream sequence is enacted with quality dancing and singing (Nicole Miller and Melissa Klimisch). This piece had references and allusions to several Hitchcock films, which unlike a recent Dr Who play, flowed beautifully.

I am not sure how much of the direction is laid down in the new script, but skilled director, Trevor Dhu, had his wonderful cast perform some magnificently funny body movements and mannerisms. The team work was exceptional, and the comedic delivery stunning.

There are no fewer than 33 scenes, and yet with superb stage management (Brian Mahoney and Phil Redding) and a stupendous crew (David Champion and Bernadette McGregor) were swift, silent and efficient. The scenes blended together smoothly and the breakneck pace was retained. The set design (Trevor Dhu – dhu is Gaelic for black) was simple, but with the complex lighting (Rob Tagliaferri and Peter Kirkwood) and numerous intricate sound effects (Vanessa Gudgeon) combined to be most effective. You wouldn’t believe that a free standing door could provide so many belly laughs. The over-the-top costumes and wigs (Nicola Bond, Gaye Robertson and Nicole Miller) had the tears rolling down my cheeks.

The bookings are strong, with most houses filling quickly. If you want a zany and truly exceptionally enjoyable night’s entertainment then try and catch this hilarious play. There were many moments of spontaneous applause and the smile never left my face for the whole two and a quarter hours. An outstanding comedy production, perfectly delivered. Highly recommended.