Laughs at breakneck speed in The 39 Steps

The stage production of The 39 Steps was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1935 thriller of the same name, but the focus is on comedy in a variety of forms delivered at a frantic pace.

First staged on London’s West End in 2006 and having enjoyed worldwide success, this touring production premiered its Melbourne season on September 11 at the Comedy Theatre. The cast features seasoned performers Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake and The Umbilical Brothers (David Collins and Shane Dundas).

The action begins at a London theatre in 1935 where Richard Hannay (Stenlake) is enjoying a performance by Mr Memory when gunfire suddenly erupts. Outside the theatre, Hannay is approached by a mysterious woman, Annabella Schmidt (McCune) who insists on going to his flat, where she confesses to firing the gunshots to evade two men pursuing her.

Schmidt admits to being a British spy and warns Hannay about a dangerous conspiracy that can only be thwarted with the help of a man in Scotland.

Later that night, Hannay finds Schmidt dead in his room. Realising the danger he is in and that the police will suspect him of her murder, he flees his flat and takes a train to Scotland.

Fortunately for fans of Lisa McCune, well-known for her many stage and screen roles, that’s not curtains as she plays several other female roles, showcasing her talent for foreign accents and her skill at physical comedy routines.

For Hannay, this is the start of a wild ride with numerous plot twists, as all around him are humorous antics, acrobatic routines, slapstick comedy, one-liners and even ad lib banter with the audience.

Much of the humour is aimed at send-ups of Hitchcock’s classic movies such as Strangers on a Train, The Birds and North by Northwest, enhanced by superb black-and-white visual effects created by lighting designer Matthew Marshall and set/costumer designer James Browne.

The Umbilical Brothers’ Collins and Dundas are veterans of physical comedy and utilise mime, pantomime and slapstick as they are called on to play more than 100 characters requiring rapid costume changes, which they achieve with consummate ease.

The humour in The 39 Steps covers an enormous range, drawing inspiration from Monty Python and Fawlty Towers as well as vaudeville and physical comedy, ensuring that there is plenty of comedy to appeal to all tastes.

On this tour The 39 Steps has already been staged in Sydney and Newcastle, and after the Melbourne season heads to Brisbane from October 7-19 for its final leg.

The 39 Steps is being staged at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre until October 4. Bookings: https://the39steps.com.au/