The 39 Steps

There are laughs galore in this madcap production of the already hilarious 39 Steps. Director Hartney-Smith and her cast run riot with the consistently farcical script and the addition of some marvelously crazy props (a plumber’s plunger for a gear stick - toy planes joining the chase) and whacky physical business (the chase across the roof of the train is simply brilliant) make for a night of delicious silliness and belly laughs galore.

The entire cast is in its element and throws caution to the wind. The pursuit of laughter is the mantra for the play and thank goodness no-one takes it seriously. Instead, the cast of four happily dives headfirst into plot holes galore and makes a feast out of an originally meagre meal.

Written back in the thirties, the original novel didn’t make complete sense, though Alfred Hitchcock did his best to make it a nail-biting thriller on film. Hartney-Smith has no such pretensions - she stretches credibility beyond its limits and that’s exactly how the play should be seen.

The story is as simplistic as it is unbelievable, and of little relevance in either case. Richard Hannay is being hunted for a murder he didn’t commit. A strange woman who may or may not be connected pairs up with him to seek out a bunch of spies who think he knows too much. He wants to know what they know and we (mostly) don’t know anything, which allows us to freely enjoy everything. I think!

John Turley is a wonderfully straight leading man and Pukkah Englishman. It’s a hard task to maintain a balanced performance when chaos is all around you, but Turley is masterful in his stoicism.

Samantha McClurg is both Annabelle and Pamela, dual heroines in the story and she is a delight as both, with just enough subtle differences that we don’t get confused.

But it’s the two clowns who control the comedy, annihilate the action and shred the story to the point of it gleefully making little sense (but who cares?).

Jack Lovett unashamedly channels John Cleese, and how lucky are we that he does it so well. In every scene he tops his upstaging mastery of the scene before. He’s outrageous, deliciously bonkers and very funny. His foil, as clown number two, is Neil Watson. It seems Neil has only been performing for a couple of years, but you would certainly never know it. His Scottish police sergeant in a pink tutu (don’t ask!) is just one of the comic gems he gives us as we try to keep up with the spiraling storyline.

Add to this delicious cameos from the great Cee Campbell and Georgina McDonald, and add a couple of bottle of BYO bubbles, and you have a night of near hysteria you won’t forget in a hurry.

As always, the backstage crew are impeccable and are all volunteers.

Apologies for the delay in this review, an accident has seen me on heavy painkillers which (had I written earlier) would have seen me write a review even more bonkers than the play. What a fun night. Thank you.

Coral Drouyn