Sound familiar? That’s because Alfred Hitchcock used The 39 Steps for a 1935 thriller. But it’s found new life as a hit theatrical piece, a Tony Award winner that’s transferred to an off-Broadway venue where it’s still pulling in big crowds.
Some find this inventive stage production more engaging than Hitchcock’s film, and it’s certainly truer to the 1915 novel on which it’s based. Adapter Patrick Barlow and director Maria Aitken use a cast of four and a dash of Monty Python to create a production that’s both innovative and entertaining.
A man is lured into a world of intrigue by a mysterious woman claiming to be a spy. When she winds up dead in his flat, he flees the London police and runs straight into a series of misadventures. The tiny cast hilariously attempts to portray all the characters, locations and famous scenes in Hitchcock’s thriller with just a few props and a lot of theatrical ingenuity, including split-second changes.
The 39 Steps is at the Aronoff Center for a two-week engagement. It’s not a musical, but you’ll be amazed at how funny and entertaining it can be.
Through March 14. $18-$43. Find showtimes, buy tickets and read Rick Pender’s review here.
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2010.
