Stay with me now. The 39 Steps started as a World War I espionage novel by Scottish author John Buchan. It became an Alfred Hitchcock film in 1935. Then it was adapted for the stage and opened in London as a hit comedy. Now it’s on Broadway.
What 'The 39 Steps' is About
Urbane, bored Richard Hannay (Charles Edwards) makes eyes at a mysterious woman at the theater, but returns alone to his London town home . . . where the woman turns up dead.
With no more than that, Richard is cast into a headlong run for his life as a mysterious spy organization alternately pursues and is pursued by him, from London to Scotland and back, as he fights to clear himself of the murder.
Along the way, he is hindered and helped by the beautiful, upstanding Pamela (Jennifer Ferrin), who, despite her best efforts, ends up shackled, literally, to a man she thinks is a murderer.
Meanwhile, the police and the spy organization are closing in on Richard.
What You’ll Like About 'The 39 Steps'
George Abbott said three things matter in theater: timing, timing, and timing. If true, the creators of The 39 Steps learned the lesson well. Movies from the 1930s, even from a master director like Hitchcock, are often filled with what seem like long, awkward pauses to today’s film fan, but The 39 Steps gets rid of them all.
This show plays at breakneck speed, and it is played for laughs all the way.
And the timing? Well, there are 150 characters in the show played by just four actors. Many will recognize Jennifer Ferrin from her Emmy-nominated role on TV’s As the World Turns.
The 39 Steps will keep you guessing and laughing. Little wonder it was nominated for Best Play and Best Direction Tonys.
Things To Consider
Buchan’s original book was an adventure story, and, in fact, was the first of a “Richard Hannay” series of the ordinary-guy-caught-in-intrigue genre. Hitchcock loved such tales, but he often added the humor that such implausible situations suggested.
In Broadway’s The 39 Steps, it goes a few steps farther. The show is silly, in the best sense of that word, almost Monty Python-esque at times. I love that kind of humor, but don’t go expecting The Bourne Identity.
Who Put This Show on and Stars in It?
On opening night, The 39 Steps starred, alphabetically, Arnie Burton, Charles Edwards, Jennifer Ferrin, and Cliff Saunders.
Maria Aitken directed, and it was adapted by Patrick Barlow.
- Helen Hayes Theatre
240 West 44th Street
- Show Times and Tickets
- Opening: January 15, 2008
- Closing: Open-ended run
- Run Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes (including intermission)