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.