A COMEDY version of a classic Hitchcock thriller is next on the bill from the performers at Rugby Theatre.
The 39 Steps is described as a fast-paced and frantic stage adaption of the 1935 whodunnit film of the same name, with four actors playing almost 100 characters between them – and a dose of ‘Monty Python-style silliness’.
The plot sends a notorious fugitive and a mysterious blonde from a London music hall to the remote Scottish Highlands, with Scotland Yard’s crack team of policemen and detectives in hot pursuit. Following an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance, the show culminates in a death-defying finale – complete with Monty Python-style silliness.
The show’s director Simon Burne said: “Every so often there comes along a play that just makes you ache with laughter. This really is one of the funniest shows around.
“The original book of The 39 Steps was written by John Buchan in 1915, as an anti-German spy novel set just before the First World War.
“Hitchcock shot the film in 1935 and took enormous liberties with the original book. Thank heavens he did, because the original book is incredibly boring! About 80 per cent of the play is original Hitchcock, but the result is truly hilarious.
“If you loved Noises Off or Ben Hur, you’ll adore this. We’ve also got some rather wonderful special effects. It’s one step away from bonkers.”
The 39 Steps runs from November 12-19, with two-for-one tickets on Monday November 14.
Tickets are available from the Rugby Theatre box office via www.rugbytheatre.co.uk or on 01788 541234.
