Patrick Barlow’s brilliant adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller The 39 Steps is a modern comedic masterpiece. After being a sellout in Brisbane and Melbourne, The 39 Steps has set a new box-office record after only being open at the State Theatre in Adelaide for one week. Directed by Jon Halpin, the storyline follows a typical Hitchcock thriller when an ordinary citizen, Richard Hannay (played by Nathan Page) becomes entwined in a murder mystery involving espionage, romance and intrigue. The adventure begins when a beautiful German woman, Annabella Schmidt (Anna Steen) enters Hannay's life claiming she is being followed, turning his life upside down.
The story originated from the book written by John Buchan. Hannay …show more content…
Shadow puppetry is used to recreate an explosive plane and a chase across the rugged countryside. With the limited sets it made it easy and cheap to travel and perform across the country. The most amazing part of the 39 steps performance was the fact it only featured four actors who combined playing 40+ roles. Every character was unique with there own appearance, personally and accents. Majority of the roles were played by Charles Mayer and Tim Overton. These two very physical and very accomplished comedic actors play over 20 roles each. They are men, women, even a small newsboy and occasionally all at the same time.
The 39 steps exceeded my expectations with flying colours, not only was it exciting and innovative but it captivated audiences of all ages. It was a huge success the transition of all the characters was flawless. After previously watching Hitchcock films, this performance made me want to watch the the 39 steps film. I would recommend this performance to everyone of all ages. Patrick Barlow has definitely outdone him self, the 39 steps is a must see and will be remembered years to