The 39 Steps
The Criterion Theatre
Performance: Wednesday 25th July 2012
The 39 Steps could possibly be my all time favourite comedy. These days it is very common for films to be turned into musicals or plays. While the film version of The 39 Steps is good, the theatre version couldn't be better. For those of you who have seen Alfred Hitchcock's 'The 39 Steps' will know that in some ways the play simply 'takes the mick' out of the film. The 39 Steps brings back good old fashioned British comedy to the stage which I love. The key ingredient of this show is the actors. There are only 4 actors playing 100s of characters which is outrageously funny.
Andrew Alexander was fantastic as Richard Hannay. He reminded me of John Cleese playing Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers. You could see how exhausting it was as the sweat was pouring off his face. He built up a great relationship with the audience which is extremely important in comedy.
Catherine Bailey showed what a versatile actress she is through her portrayals of Annabella Schmidt, Pamela and Margaret. She had great chemistry with Andrew Alexander and gave a very intense, comedic performances as each character. Its refreshing to see actors telling a story simply through their acting and not relying on special effects, massive sets and big casts.
Stephen Critchlow and Paul Bigley (who is the latest addition to the cast) were outstanding as 'the men'. Their performances were manic, constantly changing clothes, changing accessories and moving around various pieces of set. They were a great double act and really bounced of each other.
If you want a laugh, love good old British comedy and enjoy watching good acting then The 39 Steps is definitely the show for you. The Criterion Theatre is beautiful making it a great evening out!
Visit http://www.love39steps.com/ to find out more and to book tickets.
This is most defiantly one of my favourite plays and I would suggest anyone and everyone, despite your taste, to go and see it. Amazing.
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