REVIEW: The 39 Steps
- Posted on July 10, 2007 1:02 PM
- 2 comments
The 39 Steps
Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly
Monday 9th July
Review by Zarina Raja
I knew that The 39 Steps was going to hilarious within the first 30 seconds. As the curtains remained closed and the jazzy 20’s music was lowered, (which, by the way, made me want to smoke through the performance using a vintage cigarette holder like a flapper girl whilst sporting a hat with a feather) a loud voice boomed out over the audience, warning us not to use our cameras, to turn our phones off and reminding us that ‘it is forbidden to mount the stage at any time.’ The audience burst into a surprised laughter as the curtains were pulled back and the play began.
The 39 steps strongly echoes – and mocks - the Hitchcock film based on the novel by John Buchan. It was swathed in classic English humour, enhanced by the dreary London settings. Having not actually seen the original film, I probably missed out on some of the jokes, but most of them were so glaringly obvious it was hard not to understand. It is the type of play that anybody can go to and laugh – loudly, be it man, woman, old or young, blue or green.
The jokes themselves were ridiculously simple although clever and absolutely classic, dripping in grandfather like puns and innuendos. I can imagine that if I was to ever watch the Hitchcock film, I could never take it seriously, this performance has certainly tainted my appreciation - just like how the Dawn French version of Misery makes me giggle all the way through the Stephen King version.
This performance was particularly good as there are only four cast members playing an array of characters from the murdered, the murderer, the milkman, the hotel owners, the policemen, the spy, the passengers on a train and the love struck couple. This added to its amusement value along with some clever improvising with one actor sometimes playing two characters in the same scene.
This version of The 39 Steps seems to have taken comedy back to basics, stripping it of any flashy props or complicated wit. It hones in on the sheer importance of comical timing, facial expressions, a variety of highly entertaining voices and some rather camp humour one would expect to find in a Carry On film, throwing around understated terms like ‘oh golly’ after some one has been murdered.
Although the plot was straight forward (man being chased for a murder he did not commit and falls in love with woman he is handcuffed to) it was still fast moving, jumping from character to character and scene to scene. There were vague moments when everybody else was chuckling to themselves and I wasn’t quite sure why, but two minutes later, I would find myself back in the thick of the plot, being whipped into yet another fit of giggles.
The actor that played ‘Mr Memory’ (a man who could mindlessly provide silly facts about anything under the sun) was particularly good. In fact, I would go as far to say that was the essential ingredient in making the play work and definitely received the loudest and longest laughs. He wasn’t charming or particularly witty but he was absolutely brilliant at doing strange voices – sometimes verging on sounding quietly constipated. He also played the role of the female, Scottish and very barmy, hotel land lady, hilariously dressed in hair net, dressing gown and large army boots. The term ‘oooorrrrrrcchhhh nooooooo’ has never been funnier.
The 39 Steps is the kind of play where certain scenes linger in your mind, appearing uninvited in a situation where smiling to yourself is just basically a bit embarrassing- like now - at my desk.
Have you seen this play? Did it split your sides or give you a headache? Post your review in the comments section.
Comments (2)
Kate Spiegelhalter
ah the memories
Posted on September 21, 2007 10:29 AM
Natalie Driver
i went to see this play with the school and i thought that it was amazing. i totally agree with what is said above. i loved mr memory because of his funny voice. if i had the chance i would go and see it a million times
Posted on November 23, 2007 12:44 PM
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