Opening on a stage plunged into black and white, setting the tone from the get go, 'The 39 Steps' follows Richard Hannay, a man wrongly accused of murder, mistakenly entangled in espionage and on the run.
Originally made famous by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935, the stage version, adapted by Patrick Barlow in 2005, leans hard into comedy, drawing from the film and turning the whole thing into a playful, self-aware farce.
While some leniency can be granted for opening night nerves, issues with pacing and design are harder to overlook. The success of this show hinges on high energy and razor-sharp timing to fully embrace its absurdity, but the performance struggled to find its rhythm.
David Collins and Shane Dundas (The Umbilical Brothers) are undeniably icons of Australian comedy. However, in this production, their inclusion often felt like a distraction that disrupted the show’s rhythm. Their signature style, which typically relies on careful timing and deliberate setup and slow build to truly land, seemed mismatched in a performance that demanded a faster pace and tighter transitions.
Ian Stenlake delivered a strong performance as the show's leading man, the only actor tasked with portraying a single character. While that might seem like an easier path compared to the rest of the ensemble, it demands a sustained energy and unwavering focus. His grounded presence highlighted just how challenging it can be to play the 'straight man' amidst all the chaos.
The use of shadow puppetry was a stand-out element of the design, effectively enriching the storytelling and enhancing the world-building as the show moved across various locations and countries.
I’ll admit that I may not have been the show’s target audience, and it’s likely the performance will continue to tighten as the run progresses. Comedy is, after all, entirely subjective, while it may not have had me in stitches, it was clear that both the audience and the performers were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Words: Casey Elder
