The 39 Steps at The Curve Leicester Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Vickie Njoroge

The 39 Steps, adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow, is loosely based on the 1915 novel by John Buchan and largely adapted from the Alfred Hitchcock thriller of the same name.

Prior to watching the play last night, I had read John Buchan’s book but was unaware of the Alfred Hitchcock film version and how iconic it is. It is worth stating here that you do not need to have any experience of the book or film in order to enjoy this adaptation.

My guest and I are relative newbies to theatre-going and had no idea how enthralling and comical this performance was going to be.

So, for those who don’t remember or are unaware of the story-line, the play takes place just before the beginning of World War 2. Richard Hannay, played by Tom Byrne, is the hero of the piece and we find him, at the very start, feeling melancholic about the state of the world, society and his own life. He is bored and hoping for adventure, which is something he definitely finds. Of course, I don’t wish to give anything away to a prospective audience so I will just say that there are lots of twists along the way, with espionage, danger, high-speed chases, a dose of slapstick, and a little love story thrown in for good measure (something that did not appear in Buchan’s novel.)

The play adaptation is nothing like I was expecting or have ever seen before, as all the characters, 139 in all, are played by just four actors! It is fast-paced and farcical and there is no time to think about anything else as you are swept along with the storyline. Tom Byrne, who you may recognise from Netflix Bridgerton (among many other acting credits for stage and screen), played Richard Hannay perfectly. I really felt his loneliness at the beginning of the play and believed his journey from loner to spy hero, taking risks and having to be brave in order to stop the bullies from winning. In an excerpt from a February 2024 interview by Simon Button, Patrick Barlow says that Richard Hannay “has a realisation of what a dangerous world we’re in and that we have to be really careful of people bullying us…..”. Byrne’s facial expressions, comic timing and rapport with the rest of the cast resulted in me hanging on every word. He reminded me of a young Hugh Laurie – a stiff upper lip character who gets into scrapes.

Safeena Ladha played the three female characters, all with different accents and personalities, with the same enviable skill and credibility of Byrne and they worked well together.

The two remaining main characters are Clown 1 (played by Eugene McCoy) and Clown 2 (played by Maddie Rice). I struggle to find the words to describe the skill and effort that is required to fulfil their roles on the stage. They simply stole the show with their well-practised performance that tips a hat to the music hall performers of the 1930s and the good old pantomimes we see today. The energy and talent required is phenomenal and I watched in awe as they swapped between characters and accents in quick succession, produced mini-sketches that had us in stitches and were so well performed that the audience couldn’t help but applaud.

All of the actors played their roles well and were thoroughly believable as the whole performance pulled us in and we were able to put aside the fact that they were actors on a stage performing. The time went so quickly (which I always think is evidence that you are truly engaged).

The staging and set design were brilliant and my two most stand-out moments (and there were lots to choose from) were the chase on the train (so cleverly done), the chase across the Scottish highlands (which was achieved through the use of silhouettes) and the Forth Bridge chase – so that’s actually three stand-out moments.

During the interval, I overheard someone say that this play was the best thing they had seen in ages. I would have to say that it was on par with everything I have seen so far and I would definitely pay to see it again as it is like nothing I have ever seen and I can think of several people who would enjoy watching it with me. It has also made me want to watch the Hitchcock version, to which the play paid homage through dropping in Hitchcock titles and alluding to Hitchcock films in other ways.

The theatre staff, as always, were welcoming and friendly and everything was fully accessible at ground level.

The Curve in Leicester is easy to get to (following the sat nav), with Rutland Street NCP Car Park on the doorstep Sat Nav postcode: LE1 1TQ. The theatre is situated in the cultural quarter, with a variety of bars and restaurants nearby for those wishing to make an evening of it. It is walking distance from the bus and train station too.

The 39 Steps at The Curve, Leicester Weds 31st July Sat 3rd August 2024
Tickets 01162423595 https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/the-39-steps/                                                Tickets priced between £10 and £40 with discounts for those eligible.

Rating: 5/5 star rating from me.