The 39 Steps

The audience at Southport Little Theatre enjoyed a marvellous evening of entertainment, courtesy of Southport Dramatic Club’s (SDC) production of an innovative very comedic stage adaptation of John Buchan’s 1915 novel “The 39 Steps”. The first Version of the play was written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon and was funded by a £1000 Yorkshire art grant. It premiered in 1995 at The Georgian Theatre Royal Richmond North Yorkshire and then toured church halls in the north of England. The play then had a rewrite in 2006 by Patrick Barlow, best known for “The National Theatre of Brent.” and opened in London at The Tricycle Theatre in 2006 with the title “John Buchan’s The 39 Steps,” and it won the best comedy at the Olivier Awards and the “What’s On Stage” Awards, both in 2007. It then opened on Broadway in 2008 winning two Tony awards and a Drama Desk Award. The play follows Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film version of John Buchan's story, which tracks the exploits of Richard Hannay, as he travels through England and Scotland on the run from the police, aiming to clear his name of an accusation of murder, as he has unwittingly become involved in a spy conspiracy. Richard Hannay has been portrayed on screen in the past by such actors as Robert Donat, Kenneth More, Robert Powell and Rupert Penry-Jones.

Hannay’s Character background tells us that he was born in Scotland and speaks fluent German, he was a mining engineer prospecting for copper making a small fortune in Bulawayo. He was in the Imperial Light Horse regiment for two years and served as an intelligence officer in the Boer war returning to England in 1914, just before the outbreak of The Great War and just before the original “The Thirty-Nine Steps” story begins. However, this version is set in the 1930’s, just before WWII and follows Hannay as he begins his adventure, which starts when he visits the London Palladium an sees some vaudeville acts, there he meets a glamorous spy, she asks for his help, along with a place to stay and hide overnight, so Hannay takes her back to his apartment. Unfortunately, the woman is murdered during the night while staying with Hannay and he is framed for her murder.

 He is determined to clear his name, so he flees to Scotland hoping to find the house circled on a map named “Alt-na-Shellach” hoping to get answers to several questions such as the identity of the woman who was she afraid of and why did she need to hide in his apartment? And most importantly what are the mysterious 39 Steps? On his journey, he meets an assortment of unusual characters some helpful and some dangerous, he meets a lady called Pamela on a train and then meets her again later in the story where she is arrested with Hannay by two bogus Policemen, they escape, handcuffed to each other and end up on the run. Then finally Hannay comes full circle back to the London Palladium where his story began. The play features all famous scenes associated with the Hitchcock film, including the chase on the Flying Scotsman and Hannay’s escape from the train on the Forth Bridge, a visit to the house of the villain, an out of the way Inn and a chase by a biplane, among others.

This performance stood out as a remarkable example of comic theatre, brought vividly to life by four exceptional actors under the direction of the talented Les Gomersall with Emma Haslehurst as Production Coordinator. Each cast member demonstrated impressive versatility, skilfully inhabiting a range of characters which showcased their talent and adaptability throughout the production.

The entire show was notably slick and must have been meticulously rehearsed. The actors’ movements and transitions, both on and off stage, were executed with precision, highlighting the careful choreography behind each scene. These seamless changes were crucial in developing the characters and maintaining the energetic pace of the play.

This play demands absolute teamwork for its plot to succeed, leaving no room for weak links among the characters. The four actors worked together with confidence and trust, resulting in an outstanding and highly successful production. The humour in the play was delivered tongue-in-cheek, with just four cast members energetically portraying over fifty distinct roles as they advanced the story.

Peter Hoyle delivered a superb performance as Richard Hannay, tackling the challenging lead role with ease. He embodied the stereotypical English gentleman of the era, complete with a pencil moustache, tweeds, and a resolute British attitude. According to the script  Hannay is  a handsome  energetic man 6’2” tall with piercing blue eyes, and although as Peter points out in the programme he has none of these attributes in real life, which was played upon as a running joke throughout the production, however, Peter’s commanding presence ensured he owned the stage at every moment.

Jacqui Paddon excelled in her portrayal of three contrasting women: a femme fatale, a timid Scottish landlady, and a forthright young woman who found herself handcuffed to Hannay and thus drawn into his adventure. Her characters, Annabella Schmidt, Margaret, and Pamela, each represented different nationalities, further displaying her range.

Richard Michell as clown 1 and Ben Musa as clown 2 were outstanding producing all types of humour sometimes slapstick other times more subtle, as they played an array of characters spanning both male and female roles, which included police officers, vaudeville entertainers, villainous scientists, and hotel proprietors. Their adept use of various accents and their ability to switch characters rapidly, even in front of the audience, was impressive, sometimes achieving these changes in mere seconds.

All actors exhibited exceptional comic timing and maintained the energy required for their demanding roles. Diction was consistently clear, enabling the audience to follow the dialogue easily, and the wide range of accents were executed with great skill.

This production relied heavily on technology, with each scene’s venue cleverly identified through the projection of dramatic and believable images onto a back screen. This visual element proved highly effective, immersing the audience in the changing locations and contributing to the overall atmosphere of the play.

The technical team’s input was crucial, as the production demanded precise timing and numerous cues for the design crew to manage. Lighting was by Alan Gosling, which was programmed by Neil Langridge, and lighting operator was Gemma Harrison. Sound was by Phyllis Spencer, and Video/Effects were by Scott Crawford. Atmospheric enhancements were achieved using carefully selected music and sound effects, which helped to set the mood for each scene and complemented the period-appropriate costumes. These costumes, supplied by Sally Bartlett, Sue Marshall, Debbie Moss, Sam Fulstow, Pam Imbert and the SDC wardrobe team, were thoughtfully chosen to reflect the correct era and to accommodate and help with the frequent character changes, adding authenticity to the performance.

Special mention must also be made of the stage crew, who executed quick and smooth changes of scenes. Well done Stage Manager Lindsay Haywood with properties by Hannah Knowles, Dave Cox and Phil Povey. Their efficiency ensured the play maintained a lively pace, further enhancing the audience’s enjoyment and contributing to the production’s success. The stage crew’s efforts were rightly acknowledged with a well-deserved bow at the end of the performance. A mention for the prompt Andrea Calver although I didn’t hear her having to prompt at all during the play.

 Congratulations to the incredibly talented cast and all involved in bringing this wonderful zany comedy production to the stage. From the many comments I heard on leaving the theatre, the audience really enjoyed this production. Thank you very much for inviting me and making me laugh aloud, what a great evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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