White Rock Players Club stages 'The 39 Steps' spoof through mid-July

Patrick Barlow's affectionate parody of Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film The 39 Steps presents an audacious theatrical challenge: staging most of the movie's scenes and over 100 characters with only four players and minimal set elements.

White Rock Players Club gambled on the production and won. Director Miles Lavkulich cast Kay Knighting, Lauren Fischer, Amanda Gallacher, and Abigail Walkner in a show that has delivered solidly enjoyable comedy through youthful energy and considerable stagecraft. Producers Scott Kristjanson and Peter Godman landed an appealing and conscientious group of performers.

In this innocent-man-on-the-run-across-the-Scottish-Highlands spy story, most supporting roles fall to two clowns. Gallacher brings cheery energy and mobile expression to a dizzying array of roles. Walkner — who at one point must be both a master spy and the person he has shot simultaneously — maintains her aplomb and stage presence through frantic character and scene changes.

Knighting plays hapless fugitive Richard Hannay with considerable farceur skill, while Fischer throws herself into multiple roles, from femme fatale Annabella Schmidt to crofter's wife Margaret. Lavkulich mines physical comedy from Fischer's height advantage over Knighting.

The production suffers slightly when cast members over-commit to reproducing dialects rather than "doing" an accent that lands cleanly — a lesson learned by comedy greats of yesteryear. Some funny lines and exposition get lost in the process.

The material itself requires seasoned performers to mine maximum comedic potential. The current cast acquits itself remarkably well, but the difference between winning good laughs and achieving show-stopping hilarity hinges on experience.

The 39 Steps runs through July 19 at Oceana PARC Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd., White Rock.