The 39 Steps
When John Buchan first wrote his spy thriller, ‘The 39 Steps’, he could hardly have envisaged that his hero Richard Hannay and the rest of the characters would one day be the basis for one of the funniest shows in the West End. Buchan’s novel was turned into a thrilling film by Alfred Hitchcock, and it is that film that forms the basis for the incredible success which is currently playing at the Criterion Theatre. The show sells an incredible amount of theatre tickets. This year the show will also run at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse from the 3rd of December until the 16th of January 2010.
Buchan would be even more surprised to know that just four actors play 139 characters in the show. When you consider that one actor plays Hannay throughout, it is actually 3 actors playing 138 characters. Some of the actors even manage to play a number of characters simultaneously thanks to ingenious staging. The show was adapted by comic actor Patrick Barlow.
‘London theatre’ is just a two-word phrase that conveys such a variety of entertainment. Many people like to cram in as many shows to their schedule as they can when they visit London and that is one of the reasons Concierge Desk exists. The increasing demand for cheap London theatre tickets is another.
If you want to see two shows in a day ‘The 39 Steps’ is an excellent complement to any of the musicals or serious dramas as it is relatively short, fast moving and very, very funny.
Tags: comedy theatre, london theatre, the 39 steps, the 39 steps tickets