The 39 Steps – Hitchcock with a twist!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Melbourne Theatre Company returns to GPAC in May with its production of John Buchan and Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.
Needing to dispel his boredom, Richard Hannay decides on a carefree evening at the theatre. But before the night is over he has a dead blonde in his sitting room and a mystery to solve. What are the 39 Steps? To answer that and to clear his name he must head north to Scotland, foil dastardly foreign agents, elude the police and win over a pretty girl.
This is a no po-faced screen-to-stage transition; adapted by Patrick Barlow, whose play The Messiah was a huge success during the 2007 Alcoa Theatre Season, every scene of the original is intact, but pared down to the funny bone.
This blissfully funny show follows the incredible adventures of our handsome hero, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women.
This wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller features four fearless actors, playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action. With screen and stage favourite Marcus Graham (E-Street, The Rocky Horror Show and Channel 9’s controversial Underbelly) as Richard Hannay, The 39 Steps also stars Helen Christinson as the various women complicating Hannay’s day, and Grant Piro and Tony Taylor as everyone else.
Directed by Maria Aitken, the inspired director of the play’s triumphant West End run, this Olivier Award winning comedy comes direct from MTC’s 2008 season.
‘A dazzling combination of tricks and versatility’ – Sunday Herald Sun
The Melbourne Theatre Company and GPAC present The 39 Steps for four shows only from 15-17 May.