Review of The 39 Steps at Theatre Royal, Norwich: Delightful show offers escapist fun and turns Alfred Hitchcock spy drama into comedy thriller
The 39 Steps - Theatre Royal, Norwich
This fast, tight show - a massive success in the West End - does something surprising.
It turns Alfred Hitchcock’s tense spy drama into a comedy thriller which is simply played for laughs.
There’s very much a spoof feel to it all, much fun is poked at that British tendency for understatement, that stiff upper lip trait and there are some very typical characters - the daft policeman, the friendly milkman, and the god-fearing Scottish farmer.
Just four actors take on more than 100 roles in just under two hours so there’s no hanging about.
It’s all about the timing, the choreography, and the cast are incredibly hard-working, with quick costume changes and the ability to switch roles by just swapping hats.
There’s plenty of slapstick humour, lots of carefully rehearsed mishaps and genuine chemistry between the cast members.
Tom Byrne plays the central character of Richard Hannay who gets caught up in a dangerous world of murder and espionage after a trip to the theatre and we follow his adventures to Scotland and back to London as he outsmarts the baddies and gets his girl.
This is a delightful show which offers a couple of hours of escapist fun. Who wants more!
The 39 Steps continues until Saturday. Visit www.norwichtheatre.org
Review by Sarah Hardy