With four actors covering over 130 different roles with unique costumes, accents, and attitudes, The 39 Steps exudes creativity, keeping the audience thoroughly engaged and constantly wondering what trick is going to come next. Based on a 1915 adventure novel by John Buchan that was later adapted into a movie Alfred Hitchcock, the play follows a man wrongly suspected of murder who is trying to prevent secret information from leaving the country without being caught.
The intimate Criterion Theatre immediately brings the audience into the activity taking place before them, and proves to be a perfect fit for the show. While the set and effects are minimal, the talent of the actors and meticulous direction by Maria Aitken turns this abandoning of naturalism into a positive attribute, and makes us aware of how imaginative and effective theatre can be without too much spectacle. For example, a single door is simply moved around to create different rooms of a house, and the presence of wind from the outside is suggested by the characters grabbing and shaking their garments.
Of course, such an approach would fall hard if the actors weren't up to the task, but that is far from the case in this production. While the male protagonist remains as the same character throughout, the other three change continuously at lightning speed, and sustain the essential fast-pace of the show with remarkable ease, fluidity, and humor. Such a style is perpetually appealing to children, and the cast takes it a step further by including many references to Hitchcock movies that will amuse the older generation. Finally, the spooky Hitchcock-like soundtrack is a beautiful compliment to the stage action, and immerses us fully in the world of the play.
Overall, I believe that the play was very effective by incorporating comedy, thrill, and surprise in an original and creative way.
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