“Funny, frantic and utterly fantastic”
When a woman is found dead in his flat, Richard Hannay (Ryan Starling) must go on the run in a wartime caper that spans the entire length of the UK, from the London Palladium right up to the Scottish Highlands. Along the way, he encounters a whole range of weird and wonderful characters, all portrayed by just a handful of actors in a masterclass of multi-role and clownish buffoonery. Under the careful direction of Cal McCrystal, there is something for everyone here, from clever wordplay to physical comedy, including some snippets of audience interaction and even some magic. The plot may be convoluted and not make much sense, but it truly takes a backseat to the hilarity that this production is filled with, guaranteed to bring some proper belly laughs as Hannay’s situation grows stranger and stranger.
The play is introduced by James Keningale and Kathryn Perkins, both credited as ‘Clowns’ and responsible for most of the multi-role throughout the play. Together, the two portray some stereotypically sexist gentlemen that Hannay is forced to share a train carriage with, some tall, muscular undercover spies and a pair of hunchbacked, dreary politicians (complete with fake teeth and thick glasses). Yet the introduction cannot help but feel a little out of place, Keningale and Perkins forming an unnecessary warmup act that the audience isn’t quite sure how to react to. It helps to set up a few jokes that are recalled later on, but it is followed by an introductory monologue from Starling, in character as Hannay, that seemingly sets up the plot in a much better way, rendering this opening section fairly meaningless.
Once the play kicks into action, the jokes come thick and fast, although the comedy does take a little adjusting to, and the audience necessarily needs time to properly get into the swing of things. Hannay agrees that Annabella (Sophie Bloor) can stay with him after he witnesses her involved in a shooting at the theatre. Annabella tells him that she is being hunted by spies, and it is all wrapped up in something called “The 39 Steps”, but before she can reveal any more, she is killed, a knife in her back that leads to some excellent comedic moments, as Hannay must manoeuvre her body (now stiff with rigormortis) around the room, and then uses the protruding weapon as a remote control to force Annabella into different positions. It is a superb piece of physical comedy, and just a hint at the mayhem that is yet to come.
There is so much packed into this two-and-a-half hour show that it is difficult to talk about everything that the play encompasses. Chris Lince’s video design does a lot of the heavy lifting with scene changes, bringing to life a farm complete with multiple projected cows, a moving train carriage and a Scottish manor house, whilst also providing some interesting visuals when Hannay recalls Annabella’s final words, Bloor’s head circling the stage in a way that is reminiscent of Red Dwarf‘s Holly. Understudy Tom Mitchell (introduced by Perkins as a “terrible actor”) is on hand to assist with set changes, using ladders to reconstruct a section of the Forth Bridge, and quickly turning two chests into a rather uncomfortable double bed with the help of a pair of bagpipes. Perkins assures us that Mitchell will be almost invisible for these set changes, and undoubtedly he appears in a completely black morph suit with only his spectacles visible in a recurring joke that feels like it is straight out of The Play That Goes Wrong.
Ivan Stott’s sound design is also on top form, reacting quickly to the actors so that, whenever an invisible door is opened, we hear the creak of the hinges or the music coming from the other room. One section leans a bit too far into Monty Python territory as Perkins portrays the wife of a scientist whose voice is dubbed by a voiceover, and the timing here is virtually perfect, Perkins miming along to the words spoken by a much deeper voice. It is incredibly funny, if a little baffling – which is the only downfall of the play; occasionally the jokes outstay their welcome, and are in danger of becoming a little tedious.
There is just the right amount of audience interaction – one audience member on the front row is constantly referred to by the actors as a “useless bastard” after failing to follow their instructions, and other moments see audience members pelted with biscuits, whilst one poor lady receives the full force of a screwed up map to the face. The action occasionally strays into the aisles, so whilst those in the front rows will enjoy some interaction with the actors, they may find themselves craning their necks backwards in order to see other bits of the play.
This is a superb evening of comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously and has layer upon layer of joke that means there is barely a second goes by without something to laugh at. Based on the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, there are a few references to other Hitchcock films sprinkled throughout, although they are incredibly “subtle” – see how many you can spot! – whilst the show makes full use of its regional outing with many references that will delight local audience members. Funny, frantic and utterly fantastic.
Tom Morley, October 2026
Review Roundup:
Elemental Theatre: The 39 Steps – 5* from Elemental Theatre, with reviewer Thomas Levi saying he “physically cried with laughter” and his “face hurt from smiling”
More reviews will be added when they become available.
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