The 39 Steps (Neil Gooding Productions and Woodward Productions), at Comedy Theatre and touring - 2 hours, including interval ★★★★★

Slick and oh so cleverly acted and staged, this enticing parody of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie is riotously funny.

Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of the 1915 novel by Scottish author John Buchan, brings slapstick humour to the mystery crime thriller and it works brilliantly.

It is August 1935 and 47-year-old Richard Hannay (Ian Stenlake) lives in a rented London flat.

Photos by Cameron Grant

Bored and tired, nothing means much to him anymore.

On a whim, he decides to take in a night at the theatre.

That is when all hell breaks loose.

An exotic, thickly accented woman, Annabella Schmidt (Lisa McCune), who Richard doesn’t know, sits down beside him and fires a gun, causing panic.

Clearly fearful, she pleads with Richard to let her go home with him.

There, she tells him she is being followed and watched. He confirms that by peering through the blinds.

She spins a yarn about secret agents and an Englishman she must visit in Scotland.

She utters the words “The 39 Steps”, but before Richard can find out what that means, she is dead.

Richard feels compelled to follow the thin lead Annabella gave him and high tails it to Scotland, with the police in hot pursuit.

With Richard the prime suspect in Annabella’s murder, Scotland Yard is not about to let up until they get their man.

Only there are far more sinister forces at play.

Requiring only four actors who tackle 130 madcap characters with gusto, the original concept and production were the work of Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon.

The 39 Steps premiered in rural England in 1996, but Patrick Barlow rewrote the adaption we see at Comedy Theatre in 2005. It played continuously in the West End between 2006 and 2015.

That version won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2007 and two Tony Awards the following year. It is not hard to see why.

With references to other Alfred Hitchcock movies, The 39 Steps is witty and wild.

The intrigue is there from the get-go. I yearned to get to the bottom of just what Annabella Schmidt was on about.

The play is full of high paced action, with super quick character changes, performed with alacrity and precision.

The performances from a richly talented cast, which includes The Umbilical Brothers – David Collins and Shane Dundas – are superb.

Individually and collectively, they, Ian Stenlake and Lisa McCune are at the top of their game.

The often-exaggerated personas, which incorporate changing vocalisation, are so well realised.

Among the many highlights of a highlight rich show are the scenes aboard a train. Very cleverly conceived and executed. In fact, genius.

James Browne deserves high praise for his masterful costuming and monochromatic set design.

He blends vintage film techniques with classic theatre craft and uses shadow play to great effect.

Music, sound effects and lighting also have significant roles to play, enhancing the overall experience.

Brady Watkins is the sound designer and composer, while Matthew Marshall is responsible for the lighting.

Director Damien Ryan brings spark and heightened reality to the fore in a major theatrical triumph.

The 39 Steps is superlative, off the wall entertainment.

It is playing at Comedy Theatre until 4^th October, before heading to QPAC Playhouse in Brisbane from 7^th to 19^th October, 2025.