THE 39 STEPS – Reviewed by Stephen Radosh
“When you think of Alfred Hitchcock, lots of things come to mind: birds, showers, Que sera, sera, but probably not comedy, especially one on stage.as opposed to the screen. But not to worry because CVREP has brought us good cheer with the stage adaptation of “The 39 Steps,” and just in time for Christmas! It is adapted by Patrick Barlow from the 1935 Hitchcock film of the same name which, in turn, was based upon John Buchan’s 1915 novel also of the same name.
But neither Buchan’s nor Hitchcock’s version was played for laughs. In fact, the original story was such a taut thriller that it has been redone over ten times for television, radio and film.
Barlow’s stage version was a huge hit in the U.K. before becoming a hit in New York and, with this wonderful production directed by Jamie Torcellini, it deserves to be a big hit here in the Coachella Valley as well…
…Everything about this production is spot on. The entire cast has impeccable comic timing. Their delivery walks the perfect line between pure camp and farcical earnest. I would be hard pressed to pick out any one over the rest, although I must admit I especially liked Ms. Morton’s German-accented mysterious beauty, Annabella.
The elegant simplicity of Jimmy Cuomo’s set, once again beautifully lit by Moira Wilkie, Joshua Adam’s hard working sound design and the period perfect costumes designed by Zoe Trautmann all serve the production well, allowing, for instance, for just a chair and a door frame to establish an apartment. Even the way those doors are used evokes laughter throughout the show.
This production truly is CVRep’s Christmas gift to us all. It would be a shame to not partake in its many joys this holiday season!
