The 39 Steps
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The 39 Steps is a suspenseful, sidesplitting, sustainably sourced wonder - a play that knows how to use its venue and stage in tandem to create a rollicking, hilariously good time. Director Dany Akbar has utilised just four actors in his articulation of Hitchcock’s filmic masterpiece - with everyone bringing something different to the table. This is a spy-thriller meets comedy of errors, a fast paced, chaotic, 1930’s roller coaster that will keep audiences guessing and laughing for its entire, all too brief runtime.
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Image by Troy Kent ​
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Ellen Coote and Sophie Douglas are the show’s comedic (and at times, dramatic) foundations, supporting the very world of 39 Steps as they seamlessly change between upwards of twenty characters between them. Coote in particular absolutely kills it in her bite sized vignettes, whether that’s a sleazy underwear salesman, a blustering, cheery scottish innkeep, or the delightfully shrill wife of Professor Jordan.
Douglas similarly shines in a wide variety of roles, but her performance of Professor Jordan himself can’t be understated as one of the most comic in the entire show. She keeps the audience thriving on both tension and laughs, a thick accented milkman one second, a conniving gunman the next. Paired against this comedic duo are David Halgren - who does an inspiring job as the show’s protagonist, Richard Hannay, and Izabella Louk, who not only manages three different roles across the show’s span, but is the producer as well. Her attention to detail and eye for how the show flows in the Wildfire venue is ever-present, and as Pamela - the love interest and occasional foil to Hannay, she exceeds as a vibrant, emotive force on the stage.
Hannay’s incredibly iconic ‘old chap’ englishman voice does more than add to the incredible amount of comedic scenes in the show. It makes him likeable. Endearing, even! Halgren has absolutely nailed making the audience feel for the protagonist’s many, many predicaments, presenting someone with humanity and humour.
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Image by Troy Kent
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But these actors don’t exist in a vacuum, rather they exist in the incredibly intimate, incredibly lavish venue at the Wildfire lounge. A cluster of two tables either side of a tight, narrow room. The stage at one end, the entrance from the bar on the other. The performance space for 39 Steps extends well beyond the simple stage, however, characters are always running through the aisle between tables, politely excusing themselves as they wedge around the audience’s tables, or ducking behind stage curtains.
There’s such a level of dynamism to this show, an air of movement and vitality that makes every scene feel fresh and exciting. At its fastest, these scenes have the brilliant Coote and Douglas shifting through various roles, back and forth. At its slowest, you have intimate scenes and ‘will-they-won’t-they’ tension between Halgren and Louk, or more clues towards the gradually unfolding conspiracy behind the titular 39 Steps.
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Image by Troy Kent
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This show, in short, is a must see. Just do it. It’s hilarious, it twists and turns through narrative tones and genres wonderfully, and to top it off, the set design is almost entirely from second hand sources. Retro, and environmentally friendly to boot. You will not regret sitting down and taking in the sprawling, fast paced world of Akbar’s 39 Steps.
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