White Rock Players present fast-paced 'The 39 Steps' comedy-thriller
Four actors play over 140 characters in Patrick Barlow's tongue-in-cheek adaptation of the Hitchcock classic, running July 2–19 at Oceana PARC Playhouse.
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The White Rock Players Club is staging Patrick Barlow's 2005 comedic adaptation of The 39 Steps, a fast-paced comedy-thriller that owes more to Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 film and Monty Python's Flying Circus than to John Buchan's original 1915 novel.
The production's audacious gimmick: four actors play more than 140 characters using minimal set elements. This "doubling-down-on-doubling" approach relies on theatrical legerdemain, mime and physical comedy to create an impressively frenetic spectacle.
The cast features authentically British Kay Knighting as archetypal stiff-upper-lip hero Richard Hannay, who is framed for murder by international spies and must flee across England and Scotland while seeking evidence of his innocence. Lauren Fisher is triple cast as Pamela (Hannay's antagonist-turned-romantic-interest), Anna Schmidt (a heavily accented femme fatale), and Margaret (a kind-hearted crofter's wife). Amanda Gallacher and Abigail Walkner tackle the demanding roles of Clown 1 and Clown 2, tasked with playing "absolutely everybody and everything else."
Director Miles Lavkulich has chosen a cast of fresh faces for the production. "The cast has embraced the show's breakneck pace, physical comedy, and endless character changes with incredible energy that has us giggling at every rehearsal," said co-producer Peter Godman.
The 39 Steps runs Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with a 2:30 p.m. matinee on Sundays, at Oceana PARC Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Road. Except for the July 2 preview ($20), tickets are $29 for adults, $25 for seniors (60-plus) and youth (under 18). Call the box office at 604-536-7535 or visit whiterockplayers.ca.