Richard Hannay (Robert Petkoff) is wrongly fingered for murder in THE 39 STEPS (photo by Joan Marcus)
Union Square Theatre
100 East 17th St. at Park Ave.
Wednesday – Monday, $20-$105
877-250-2929
www.39stepsny.com
What are the 39 Steps? A thoroughly entertaining and endlessly inventive theatrical production, based on John Buchan’s 1915 novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic 1935 film, that has been on quite an adventure itself, just like its protagonist. The play began life in 1996 in a minimalist version written by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon and a cast of four actors playing more than one hundred roles; it debuted at the small Georgia Theatre Royal, then went on a tour of English village halls and schools. In 2004, National Theatre of Brent cofounder Patrick Barlow rewrote the script, and in 2007 the updated edition won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, then transferred to Broadway, where it played three theaters, was nominated for six Tonys, including Best Play (winning two, for Kevin Adams’s lighting and Mic Pool’s sound design), and won the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience. It’s also made its way to more than a dozen other countries, from Israel, South Africa, and Turkey to South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Italy. It was last seen in New York City in 2010 at New World Stages, but it’s back now for an extended run at the Union Square Theatre, and just as one can watch the Hitchcock film over and over, the play is a blast even if you’ve seen it before. After dapper London bachelor Richard Hannay (Robert Petkoff) is falsely accused of murder, he goes out on the run, escaping the clutches of authorities as he heads for a Scottish castle. Along the way he gets caught up with the suspicious Pamela and the lonely farm wife Margaret (both played by Brittany Vicars, who also portrays ill-fated femme fatale Margaret), adding a sexy charm to the festivities.
Dapper Richard Hannay (Robert Petkoff) is determined to prove his innocence in stage version of Hitchcock classic (photo by Joan Marcus)
Petkoff (All the Way, Spamalot) is dashing and elegant as the dashing and elegant Hannay, a self-assured man with a wry sense of humor despite his challenging circumstances, and recent Juilliard graduate Vicars makes a solid New York stage debut. But it’s Arnie Burton (Peter and the Starcatcher, The Lives of the Saints) and Billy Carter (All That Fall, Port Authority) who do most of the heavy lifting, playing some hundred and fifty roles, from spies and bobbies to train conductors and farmers as well as Mr. Memory and the man missing part of his finger. In one riotous scene, they literally switch hats at a furious pace, going from character to character in a mad comic frenzy that leaves everyone breathless. Director Maria Aitken makes spectacular use of Peter McKintosh’s playfully spare set, involving miniature trains, windowless frames, shadow puppetry, and a lamppost, turning stagecraft inside out and upside down while winking knowingly at the audience. Barlow’s script makes reference to numerous Hitchcock films, and yes, Sir Alfie does indeed make an appearance. Because Burton, who was in the original Broadway cast, and Carter are identified as “Clowns” in the program, everyone is given a spongy red nose upon entering the theater; it’s an odd marketing conceit, but it’s all in good fun, and there’s plenty of good fun to be had in this extremely clever romp.