Melissa Marsh

For their final production, before they move to Chatswood, the Pymble Players present The 39 Steps. David Allsopp directed Patrick Barlow’s 2005 play, which was adapted from John Buchan’s 1915 novel and, of course, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film.

If you are not already familiar with the story, let me assure you that you already know it even if you have yet to see it. The 39 Steps is easily where we get the plot of every spy thriller ever written. There is a beautiful woman with a mysterious accent who drags a hapless Englishman into a wild caper involving secret plans and hidden agents, which leads to a madcap chase across the Scottish moors. What is offered is a delightfully self-aware parody that the audience is invited to be a part of, and all of this is done by a stellar cast of only four actors.

Leading the cast and leading us through the story is Daniel Ferris as Richard Hannay. Richard, an average Englishman who was reluctantly dragged into the plot. At his side is Cassandra Gorman as Annabella, Margaret and Pamela, all of whom are very distinct from each other. The highlight of the evening, however, are Mitch Doran and Faith Jessel as our two clowns, playing at least 100 characters between them.

This rapid-fire performance required rapid costume changes, sometimes even on stage in the middle of dialogue, and all were done flawlessly without disrupting the comedic timing. If Ferris and Gorman form the structure of the play, Doran and Jessel are very much the energy.

Allsopp’s minimalist production design means the focus is almost entirely on our actors. I say “almost” because it is quite cheeky to see the stage managers directly interact with our cast, whether it’s a hand taking a prop or even two of them visible onstage with a fog machine and a pedestal fan.

The sound design brings richness to the performance, but even that is not above having a joke with us. When the phone keeps ringing after the character picks it up, was that deliberate or an opening night flub? I don’t care; either way, I’m laughing.

But I think what I admired the most was the real intimacy of the production, all the more emphasised by Pymble Players’ being in a small theatre. The action is not confined to the stage; the actors come through the audience and play part of the scene even directly in front of where I was sitting.

In the end, I think I enjoyed the play far more than I enjoyed watching Hitchcock’s film. Much has happened in the almost ninety years since the film first appeared. And while back then, Hitchcock played it completely seriously; now we can all have a lot of fun being part of the joke.

There are not many productions that can purport themselves to be “Hitchcock meets Monty Python” and can actually deliver on that promise. If you’d like to see it, I suggest you get in quickly as tickets are selling rapidly and it is easy to see why.

The season is almost SOLD OUT.

For a chance to purchase tickets to Pymble Players The 39 Steps please get to this link urgently @ https://pymbleplayers.com.au/the-39-steps

Session Dates/Times
November 1 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 2 Saturday at – 3.00 PM
November 3 Sunday at – 3.00 PM
November 8 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 9 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 10 Sunday at – 3.00 PM
November 13 Wednesday at – 8:00 PM
November 14 Thursday at – 8:00 PM
November 15 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 16 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 17 Sunday at – 3:00 PM
November 22 Friday at – 8:00 PM
November 23 Saturday at – 3:00 PM
November 23 Saturday at – 8.00 PM

This review also appears on It’s On The House. Check out more reviews at Whats The Show to see what else is on in your town.

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