John Buchan’s classic early 20th-century spy thriller gets a comedic makeover in this fast-paced whirlwind of a play. Very loosely based on the classic 1935 Alfred Hitchcock adaption of Buchan’s novel, The 39 Steps tells the story of British gentleman Richard Hannay, whose boring London life implodes when he meets a mysterious foreign lady – who is subsequently murdered at his flat after revealing that she is caught up in an international intrigue involving the sinister 39 Steps.
Patrick Barlow’s production is a frenetic, zany tour de force which makes a virtue of its minimal cast. Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre!
This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, and some good old-fashioned romance!