Skip to main content

Review of The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre, London

The 39 Steps by John Buchan is to many a remarkably familiar tale. Even if you haven't read the relatively slight book, you will almost certainly have seen one of the numerous versions of the tale Whether your Richard Hannay was Robert Donat's 1935 version or Rupert Penry-Jones' version in 2008 or somewhere in between, a play perhaps needed to do something different.

Patrick Barlow's version at the Criterion sure does something different and nine years after its debut at the theatre is still packing them in, my Tuesday viewing left little room for many more patrons. It is however soon to end though as the Laurence Olivier and double Tony Award winner is to finish in September.

The play by Barlow is adapted from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon which was first performed in Richmond, North Yorkshire in 1995. That concept is for a no holds barred physical comedy version of the spy story with the clever idea of just four actors playing all of the parts, in excess of one hundred apparently.

Hannay is played by Daniel Llewelyn-Williams with suitable panache and classic noir style. Only having the single role throughout unlike the rest of the cast allows him to fully embody the role. He is quite brilliant and dons his moustache with pride and playing the role with the perfect balance of seriousness and clowning.

Kelly Hotten is a constant delight in her three roles. My favourite without question the incredibly Scottish Margaret, a gentle little  sweet little performance and even in such a high comedy, with quite a sad little edge.

Completing the four actors are Mike Goodenough and Gary Sefton who between them play the bulk of the characters. On occassions like Goodenough having conversations with himself, coat over one shoulder are simple moments of tremendous skill. Also at one point Goodenough and Sefton swap roles with one another in one scene to remarkably clever effect. Sefton also has got quite a line with playing the ladies, with a little panto (but not too much) and more than a hint of bosom lifting in the Les Dawson tradition. When he is donning a dress, he unquestionably steals many of the scenes.

The design by Peter McKintosh is stripped cleverly to the bare essentials, with minimal props on stage. A spinning door cleverly portraying many rooms and a window frame happily providing a window wherever one is needed. Chairs fly in perfectly timed and toy trains happily portray travel. It is quite a magnificent thing to behold.

I also loved the moments where we slip out of performance when something has slightly gone wrong or delayed. I can only assume that these are deliberate incidents, they certainly feel like it, but either way they give many of the magic moments.

So nine years in London means you are doing something right, but  the end looming for the show. So you need to get quick stepping to the Criterion as soon as possible to lap up this constantly clever, fast paced and at times painfully hilarious little gem of a show.

««««


Performance reviewed: Tuesday 23rd June, 2015 at the Criterion Theatre, London.

The 39 Steps runs at the Criterion until Saturday 5th September, 2015.

For further details about the show visit the website at http://www.love39steps.com/

Popular posts from this blog

Review of Calamity Jane at Milton Keynes Theatre

Should you never have seen Calamity Jane before, as I hadn't before catching it on its UK tour's arrival at Milton Keynes Theatre this week, you may still very well know a little about it by its name alone. However, barring a couple of well-known tunes, I knew far less than I thought, and it was an excellent experience of discovery. The story of Calamity Jane recounts the town of Deadwood and, specifically, the tomboy Calamity Jane, full of tales and daring deeds that may or, more likely, did not happen. When the local theatre owner fails to bring the American star promised to the stage, Calam sets it upon herself to get the biggest star of the country to grace that darn stage. Calamity Jane is, at its core, just a jolly old-fashioned musical, filled to the brim with disturbingly simple but very catchy numbers from Sammy Fain and lyrics from Paul Francis Webster. Some you will no doubt recognise, such as Deadwood Stage , Just Blew in from the Windy City , and Secret Love . ...

Review of Murder She Didn't Write at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Murder She Didn't Write , stopping off for a four-day run at Royal & Derngate on a lengthy UK tour, treads the now well-worn path of an improvisational evening of theatre entertainment. Unsurprisingly, from the title, this show from Degrees of Error's takes a murder mystery as its inspiration, with the story influenced by ideas from the audience each evening. Due to this, Murder She Didn't Write and a review are very much an individual affair. What I saw in my evening at the theatre will differ significantly from what the audience will see the following evening; however, the fine performers will remain. The touring cast, in no particular order, is Lizzy Skrzypiec, Rachael Procter-Lane, Peter Baker, Caitlin Campbell, Stephen Clements, Douglas Walker, Harry Allmark, Rosalind Beeson, Sylvia Bishop, Emily Brady, Alice Lamb, Sara Garrard, Peta Maurice and Matthew Whittle. For my performance, Skrzypiec, Procter-Lane, Baker, Walker, Bishop, and Clements were on stage alongsid...

Review of Lord Of The Dance at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

The stage show Lord of the Dance possibly needs little introduction to most people, as it has become a legend and now, in this touring version, subtitled rather immodestly, 25 Years of Standing Ovations, it reaches a landmark anniversary. Those that do not know of the show would probably well know its spiritual fathers Michael Flatley, and even more likely Riverdance , from which Lord of the Dance sprung with a proper spring in its step. During the interval of the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, Riverdance hit the world by storm as Michael Flatley and his troop of dancers possibly presented the most famous part of Eurovision ever, certainly of the non-singing variety at least. Here, this touring show brings that same style Flatley created from traditional Irish dancing across the country once again and it is truly something special to see. The concept of the show is simply a battle between good and evil told through dance, and some captivating and stunning songs performed by Celyn Cartw...