It’s either a statement on the state of the economy within the theatrical world or a comment on the talents of the cast when just four actors play 139 different roles across the 100 minutes of The 39 Steps.
That’s what Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake, David Collins and Shane Dundas (The Umbilical Brothers) will be doing as they bring to life the parody of author John Buchan’s 1915 novel, later adapted to film in 1935 by Alfred Hitchcock.
The current iteration was devised by Simon Corbie and Nobby Dimon in the mid-nineties, with this version readapted by Patrick Barlow in 2005 to become the one of the longest running plays in years, picking up an Olivier Award and two Tony Awards along the way.
With the play being pitched as “Hitchcock Made Hilarious” this parody is a gut-busting funny production that is stylish and a physical tour de force of rapid physical acting in the style of The Three Stooges and Get Smart, with flourishes of John Barry’s music and expressionistic designs.
The story concerns English everyman Richard Hannay (Ian Stenlake, who plays the one role) being caught up in the murder of spy Annabella Schmidt (Lisa McCune) after meeting at a theatre performance of Mr Memory.
On the lam to Scotland, Hannay is confronted by foreign spy master Professor Jordan, various assassins, hoteliers and bobbies, all played to great effect by Collins and Dundas.
One striking scene on Scotland is when Hannay comes across Margaret (McCune) a crofter’s wife, who brings the house down with her accent and her version of the Highland fling.
After escaping a kidnapping, Hannay flees back to London, where with the help of McCune as Pamela, he tricks Mr Memory into revealing the secret of the 39 Steps.
Directed by Damien Ryan, The 39 Steps a rapid-fire production that elevates the often mundane script by the skill and presence of the actors and impressive scene changes and background frames.
While its relentless pacing means that it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the narrative, the actors always manage to extract the maximum laughs in each scene.
McCune shows a mastery of physicality and accents from German, Scottish to English, while even in extraordinary predicaments, Stenlake’s Hannay never loses his grounding as the English ordinary man.
The big task of this production falls to Collins and Dundas as they slip with ease into a myriad of roles that can change within seconds.
Set and costume designer James Browne works within a greyscale for both tasks, which at times evoke Hitchcock’s black and white movie with impressive renditions, or in the case of the action behind the scrims, inventiveness,
Lighting from Matthew Marshall makes the most of the expressionist set and is seamless in its ability to accommodate the many quick scene changes. Brady Watkins’ use of sound really comes to the fore when she uses music cues to become part of the onstage action and inform the dialogue.
It’s not often that a dialogue coach has to deal with so many accents, and here they are often the only way of identifying the characters, but Jennifer White has worked seamlessly to give so many characters distinct identities.
For a night of entertainment this is a well crafted and stylish production presented by a cast at the top of their games.
Don’t take 39 Steps to see this production, run!
The 39 Steps
Drama Theatre – Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney
Performance: Tuesday 12 August 2025
Season continues to 30 August 2025
Bookings: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Following the Sydney season, The 39 Steps will play Newcastle’s Civic Theatre from 2 September, Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from 10 September, and the Playhouse – QPAC, Brisbane from 7 October 2025. For more information, visit: www.the39steps.com.au for details.
Images: Lisa McCune and Ian Stenlake star in The 39 Steps – photo by Cameron Grant | The 39 Steps – photo by Cameron Grant | Shane Dundas and David Collins star in The 39 Steps – photo by Cameron Grant
Review: John Moyle