A boisterous jaunt from start to finish, Blue Bridge Theatre’s The 39 Steps is a must-see piece of theatre. Patrick Barlow’s satirical adaptation of the classic Hitchcockian thriller of the same name manages to create real suspense while pulling big laughs from the audience from the moment it starts.
The idea is that the entire cast of the show has come down with food poisoning, but the show must go on, so three actors from the crowd are pulled up on stage to recreate the adapted film. From the moment Christopher Mackie, playing Alfred E. Hitchcock—the great-nephew of the man himself—walked on stage, I was enthralled.
This play requires absolute commitment from the actors, and this group is up for the task. Every line and every joke are perfectly delivered. With the satire so thick, it’s impossible to tell if any of the missteps are real—I’m inclined to think every moment is planned and executed with precision.
As Richard Hannay, Gabriel Macdonald is delightful. He brings an air of confidence ideal for the character and his voice is truly memorable.
Amanda Lisman—playing Annabella, Margaret, and Pamela—is accomplished and wildly funny. Seductive in some scenes, and splendidly icy in others, Lisman is the perfect Hitchcockian blonde… and brunette… and redhead.
Mackie, as Clown 1, has impeccable timing. His physical comedy and nearly flawless accents bring each of his characters thoroughly to life. The final man to join the cast on stage, Rod Peter Jr.—Clown 2—is just as remarkable. One of his characters, Mr. Memory, is an apt name for him, with lines for nearly 15 distinct personalities.
Spinning, sometimes quite literally, between roles, Peter and Mackie bring a deftness and grace to their characters that make the perfect imperfections—like visible facial hair during a quick costume change—as much a part of the show as the window they can’t seem to get through after each one of Hannay’s escapes.
The 39 Steps is performed joyfully and the audience feels it the entire way through. It’s a spectacular success.
The 39 Steps
Various times, until Sunday, November 3
Various prices, The Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre
bluebridgetheatre.ca