Review by Seth Wilby
⭐️⭐️⭐️
No production wants to have to start their press night with an announcement from their Artistic Director, yet that is the position that the Salisbury Playhouse were flung into when one of their stars injured himself during previews. This wouldn’t be the last mayhem on stage for The 39 Steps, although what proceeded was, thankfully, all choreographed chaos. As a first-time viewer of this classic comedy, I was certainly hoping that this production would not disappoint.
Adapted from the 1915 novel, and subsequent 1936 Hitchcock film, The 39 Steps made its West End premiere twenty years ago, obtaining the Olivier for Best New Comedy, before going on to spark numerous productions across the globe, including a West End revival last summer. Beginning a new production at the Salisbury Playhouse, this play follows Richard Hannay, an ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances when he becomes entangled in a murderous matter of national security. All 139 roles in the show are portrayed by the cast of only four, giving this serious spy thriller its comedic, theatrical twist.
It would be wrong to start this review by discussing anything other than this incredible cast, who carry the show through their comedic prowess and fabulous chemistry. And who better to start with than understudy Charlotte Bloomsbury, stepping into the lead role of Richard Hannay with only 24 hours of rehearsals. As the only actor who never doubles any other role, Bloomsbury has a tough job to maintain the story throughout the antics, yet she manages this nobly throughout, playing the role with a piercing stare and sharp wit, prompting laughter from even the simplest glance. Bloomsbury’s grasp of the character is such that allows her to deliver a sense of genuine growth to Richard, with her delivery of one rousing speech in the second act managing to invoke the connection to the audience by presenting a slightly more fragile and reflective Richard. It was incredibly deserving for Bloomsbury to get the final bow of the night for such a strong embodiment of the role.
Richard’s bachelor nature does show throughout the production, with three separate love interests, all played by Mei Mei Macleod. Macleod’s Annabella is daringly mysterious, her Margaret curiously youthful (prompting some of the night’s biggest laughs from her Scottish pronunciation of ‘faces’), and her Pamela understandably hesitant yet actually likeable. In all three roles, her rapport with Bloomsbury’s Richard is palpable, and I would argue that there’s a good case to be made for the portrayal of Richard Hannay by a female actress, with an exaggerated masculine hubris allowing for improved audience investment in these relationships, and the character as a whole (comparable to Montagu in Operation Mincemeat, for example).
Last but certainly not least in this cast are Danielle Bird and Phil Yarrow as the two ‘clowns’, essentially meaning that, between the two of them, they play over 100 different roles, in very quick succession. It would be impossible to leave the theatre thinking of anything other than Bird and Yarrow’s phenomenal skills as both actors and comedians. Each role is differentiated brilliantly, not just in costume but in everything about their performances, with their mere presence on stage seemingly enough to prompt howls of laughter from across the auditorium. The audience were eating out of the palms of their hands. I particularly enjoyed their portrayals of an overly loving, elderly innkeeper couple, although all 100 were such stellar work that it's tricky to choose a favourite, showing a natural flair in such broad theatricality, from puppetry to slapstick and everything in between. Between the two of them, Bird and Yarrow are a double act to rival some of history’s greatest.
This madness unfolds in front of a wooden panelled set, designed by Libby Todd, that is full of secrets, with sliding doors and rotating set pieces a plenty, as well as an upper level providing some extra scope for the action. Todd has also designed the costumes, with the most impressive work in these being in the constant transformations of the two ‘clowns’. Added depth is provided by Simisola Majekodunmi’s lighting (including some great details in a plane fight scene), and some subtle work by sound designer Tom Marshall, with location changes notable by their echoing sound.
Ryan McBryde has directed some brilliantly funny scenes, including a brilliantly staged train chase, but ideas seem to run thinner by the second half with a definite feel that the comedic potential should have been exploited further. One scene involving Richard and Pamela handcuffed in a hotel room definitely could have prompted vastly humorous results, but instead drags flatly. Overall, though, the production maintains audience engagement throughout with the sheer theatricality of it all, though the pacing can be inconsistent, with some scenes failing to meet the speed required to keep the necessary chaotic backbone. Particularly in a theatrical climate twenty years on from its original West End Premiere, where the comedy landscape has changed drastically, it does feel like there's a need to be slightly more daring at times in order to innovate this play into something that still feels new and exciting in a world where more recent comedies have better achieved these tropes of slapstick and multi-roling (for example, the Mischief comedies or the aforementioned Operation Mincemeat).
The writing by Patrick Barlow may have aged slightly, but certainly still has its funny moments. Occasionally it does feel like the talents of the two ‘clowns’ are over relied on for laughs, with the script lacking any notable variety, although the occasional word play pun or visual gag is well received upon appearance. The choice for Richard not to double with any other role means we properly feel this sense of the chaos unfolding around him, although, if relying on the multi-roling to bring this hilarity, there certainly would have been more scope from expanding the action to allow for more characters beyond several Scottish stereotypes. The actual spy story framing the piece is often stuck playing second fiddle amongst this, with the necessary plot points glossed over to make room for more comedy, most importantly in the final reveal of this mystery, which is delivered with nowhere near enough emphasis. A bit more time spent on that conclusion would have been beneficial, as its absence highlights how the audience aren’t actually at all invested in the actual plot at the heart of this all.
The 39 Steps is not a thrilling spy tale or even a perfect comedy, particularly when compared to the juggernauts seen on stage more recently, and the direction certainly could have exploited its potential further. However, what is presented on that stage shouldn’t be treated as anything less than total fun, and that’s exactly what it was, with such a strong cast that the comedy unfolding was all that was on anyones mind.
The 39 Steps plays at the Salisbury Playhouse until March 8th
For tickets and information visit https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/events/the-39-steps
Photos by Alastair Muir