The 39 Steps

November 2017

The 39 Steps

The 39 Steps. By Patrick Barlow. Vertigo Theatre, Nov. 2017, Vertigo Theatre Playhouse, Calgary.

The 39 Steps is inspired by the work of Alfred Hitchcock. It paid homage to this legendary filmmaker by taking one of his works and turning it into a delightfully farcical romp.  The classic movie is a serious affair, an action/suspense that includes intrigue and attractive spies. This adaptation of the film is a great example of the many ways one story can be told. It kept the familiar elements: the suspense, the action, the attractive spies. But the play version added fun. There was a small, talented cast that all filled multiple roles (at moments even two roles at the same time). There was extremely clever staging, utilizing everything from shadow puppets, to puppet hands. Problems like creating “wind” outside of a moving train were solved by having actors simply wave their own hats in the air and yell. There were references to Hitchcock movies jammed it at every possible moment, and there was a surprise ending that I could not possibly have seen coming. It was so surprising, and so delightful for the same reason that the rest of the play truly stood out, they took an established convention and turned it on it’s head. And it was that twist on convention that easily made The 39 Steps one of the funniest shows I have ever seen.