39 Steps (again)

I mentioned that I had heard rumours that the 39 Steps was going to tour and could be coming to Canterbury.  After our impromptu theatre trip to see it in April and being absolutely blown away by the show Steve and I had raved about it to our friends and extolled the benefits of everyone we knew going to see it for themselves.  Imagine our delight when RV called and confirmed that it was touring and would be spending a week at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury in July.

RV coordinated, booking tickets well in advance and a group of 6 of us went along one Friday night after work.

It was one of those warm summer evenings and wandering through the streets in a floaty dress and sandals it felt like I was on holiday.  I couldn't believe that I had been sat in the office only hours previously.  We met in the foyer and looked through the programme (it helps to build the excitement) whilst Steve went in search of ice-cream.  With 5 minutes to spare we joined the queue of people chattering about the show and went to find our seats in the auditorium.

As soon as I saw the set again I started getting giggly.  It's an annoying reaction I get when I am really excited about something.  The light dimmed and the plummy tones of the voice-over introduced the show.  From then on I was in another world.

I stopped and caught myself on a number of occasions with my mouth open in wonder at what I was seeing.  It was also fantastic to hear the laughter of our friends, knowing that we had recommended something that they enjoyed.  At the interval RV was getting excited about techniques and ideas he could incorporate into Wyrd Sisters which he is currently directing.  As you tend to we spent the interval dissecting what we had seen so far and then headed back in, eager for the second act.

It was just as wonderful as I remembered, a couple of sections were not quite as slick but that's not really surprising with a touring company.  There were jokes I had forgotten and ones I was anticipating.  It was also lovely to be able to see it in my home city, with friends you can analyse the play with over a drink afterwards.  Which is exactly what we did in the pub opposite the Marlowe as the sun set over the river.

The 39 Steps

Steve and I trotted up to London recently to see a show.  The sun was shining, work was done for the day and the Big Smoke was decidedly less smoky than normal.  A meal and the theatre was the perfect outing to relax and spend quality time together.    I declared in a most determined fashion that I wanted to be entertained.  Not hard in London you would imagine but the sheer scope of options available to you does leave you feeling a little bemused on occasion.  A tiny Italian restaurant gave us the time to consider and debate our options.  We narrowed it down to two.  Then we made our choice.

Not a musical for a change but a play.

A side-splitting, blissfully funny, stiff-upper-lip-complete-with-pencil-mustache romp through England and Scotland in the 1930's as the dashingly handsome and charming Richard Hannay with a decidedly devil-may-care attitude fights off dastardly spies, despicable professors, and rotten rogues all with a distinct knack for awkward conversation with the ladies.

The 39 Steps is Olivier Award Winning slapstick humour at its finest with a twist.  A Thriller Comedy by Hitchcock, 4 actors play 139 characters in 100 minutes.  It leaves you utterly breathless with wonder.  One scene in particular left me speechless as 2 actors switched through four characters complete with costume changes in the space of seconds.

The set looks simple enough but model trains, puppet theatre and an incredibly clever and creative prop department transform the stage from London's West End to the Scottish Highlands, from train carriages to farmers huts and grand mansions, chases through the hills and dales and the bedroom of a remote hotel.  It is astounding to watch.

The actors are superb, slick, fast paced, witty and fantastic chemistry between all four.  Some of the jokes are hammered home quite forcefully but this is the nature of the play.  It is not afraid to pick itself up, shake itself off and remind the audience that it is well aware it is a play thank you very much. 

Based at The Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly it is simple to get to and just around the corner from Leicester Square.  China Town and St James Park helped to while away the time until curtain up with dinner courtesy of Piccadilly.

Tickets are ridiculously reasonably priced, especially if you go to the licensed booths in Leicester Square or purchase last minute from the Theatre Box Office.

I like to think I am reasonably experienced when it comes to the Theatre - I have seen a lot of plays and musicals and know what I like and what I don't like.

I LOVED this play.  I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I have heard rumours it is going on tour and coming to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury soon.

Golly!