Ian Cheeseman reviews director Ryan McBryde’s audacious take on The 39 Steps, which turns Hitchcock’s classic thriller into a laugh-out-loud theatrical triumph.
The 39 Steps is based on the 1915 novel by Scottish author John Buchan which was turned into an Alfred Hitchcock thriller in 1935 starring Withington born actor Robert Donat (an Academy award winner in Goodbye Mr Chips), as Hannay.
The director of the play at the Octagon In Bolton, Ryan McBryde, promised to make it audacious theatrically. The cast of four played multiple parts and McBryde said the production would demand precise physicality, razor- sharp timing and boundless energy. That’s exactly what the amazingly talented cast provided.
Mateo Oxley played the suave hero, Hannay. He was the only one of the four who could focus on just one character, though he still had the challenge of several accents. Phil Jarrow and Danielle Bird were hilarious in multiple roles and Mei Mei Macleod also had perfect timing and executed multiple roles perfectly. This cast was flawless.
I hadn’t expected a comedy but as the director explained in his programme notes, although never using the expression “spoof”, this was breakneck comedy, hamming up the film and parodying the acting if the time, based on the film version.
The intimate nature of the Octagon lent itself perfectly to this immersive production and the actors had licence to ad-lib, most notably when a wolf whistle came from the audience and Phil Yarrow reacted brilliantly.
The actors never missed a beat of this hilarious show. The timing of every joke and their wonderful homage to the 1935 film, was exceptional. Comedy is one of the hardest skills of live theatre to pull off. I’ve seen one or two failures down the years but this one was perfection. It’s on until Saturday 10th May, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
You don’t have to have seen the original film (I hadn’t), you just have to love laughing. I certainly did and felt my spirits were lifted when I left the theatre. Don’t miss this one!
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