On Stage: The 39 Steps

Lovers of Monty Python style chaos and slapstick comedy were in their element at the opening night of The 39 Steps at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre.

So too were those who appreciate the work of four performers at the top of their game.  One can only imagine how exhausted all four must have felt at the end of the night.

This especially is true of David Collins and Shane Dundas (The Umbilical Brothers) who play many of the show’s 130 roles in the 100-minute production.

Lisa McCune also does her fair share of lifting while Ian Stenlake is continually on stage.

Having played to packed audiences in Sydney and Newcastle before arriving in Melbourne, the actors clearly have their comic timings and interactions down pat. Given those interactions are quite complex, with Collins and Dundas often playing one role one minute and another a second later, such timing is essential.

The play is based on Patrick Barlow’s 2005 adaption of the first four-actor version of the story written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon in 1996. Corble and Dimon based their version on the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock which in turn was adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan.

This newest addition, directed by Damien Ryan,  is also set in 1935 and tells of the adventures of an ordinary Englishman Richard Hannay (Ian Stenlake), after he discovers there’s a major spy ring threatening England’s safety.

Hannay is attending a demonstration of the remarkable powers of Mr. Memory, a man with a photographic memory at a London theatre when a fight breaks out and shots are fired.

In the ensuing panic, Hannay comes in contact with Annabella Schmitt (Lisa McCune), who talks him into taking her back to his flat. There she tells him that she is a spy, being chased by assassins out to kill her. She claims to have uncovered a plot to steal vital British military secrets, implemented by a man based in Scotland with the top joint missing from one of his fingers.

After Schmitt is murdered in Hannay’s apartment he faces two major foes – the assassins who also want to kill him and the police who want to arrest him for murder.

The play then follows Hannay’s adventures to clear his name and find the master spy. Those adventures start with him escaping from his flat and then jumping on a train to Scotland where he comes in contact with numerous characters including Pamela (also played by McCune) who turns out to be a major foe and then love interest.

He also interacts with the assassins, real and fake police, stage performers, hoteliers, master spy Professor Jordan and a crofter (all played by Collins and Dundas) together with the crofter’s wife Margaret (played by McCune).

Elaborate movable sets, shadow play, black and white projected images including fast and slow-motion action scenes and clever lighting depict Hannay’s many challenges including escaping the police chasing him on the train, his hiking through the Scottish Highlands and being attacked by a plane. The staging, including the music, helps create the feel of a Hitchcock thriller.

Despite the crazy and often very farcical scenes the performers find themselves in and the slapstick actions they’re called upon to perform, all four actors never miss a beat. Simply swapping a hat can be the cue for Collins and Dundas to swap characters.

Similarly, McCune seamlessly transforms from a lemme fatale to a sensible seemingly law-abiding woman to a young ‘energetic’ Scottish wife.

The character of Hannay allows Stenlake to perfectly demonstrate his excellent acting and comic timing. While he’s the only performer to play a single role, it must be very challenging to keep a straight face during some of his scenes and the often very funny actions of his fellow performers.

It’s these actions, together with a humorous script and clever and imaginative staging and choreography, which ensure The 39 Steps offers a fun and highly entertaining night at the theatre.

The 39 Steps is playing at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre until October 4.  It then opens at Brisbane’s QPAC on October 7. For more information visit The 39 Steps website.

*Photo credit: Cameron Grant.

Jenny Burns attended the opening night of The 39 Steps as a guest of the production company.