It’s all stiff upper lips and pencil moustaches as the New Theatre returns to the 1930s with a hilarious and award winning interpretation of John Buchan’s spy thriller The 39 Steps, from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 February, transferring direct from the West End.An international best-seller in its own right, Buchan’s conspiracy story has been immortalised many times on film, most famously by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935. Yet this new stage adaptation is a unique and ingenious creation like no other. Here four fearless actors take on an incredible 139 characters in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action. Superbly theatrical in style, characters are denoted through the fastest changes in costume imaginable and whilst this is all played with the utmost sincerity, the frantic pace of this inventive staging has created a comic masterpiece. The plot focuses on dashing Richard Hannay, who is watching a music hall show in London when panic breaks out after several gun shots are fired from the audience. Outside Hannay is accosted by a mysterious woman who admits to creating the pandemonium as a diversion to escape from two men following her. She is a British Government spy seeking to prevent the transport of vital military secrets out of the country and tells the sceptical Hannay of a sinister conspiracy, led by an enemy agent who has one identifying feature - he is missing part of a finger on his right hand. Later that night, Hannay discovers the same woman dead with a knife in her back and a map of Scotland in her hand. Realising that he is now in danger himself and likely to be suspected for the woman’s murder he must uncover the conspiracy, exonerate himself and get past the enemy agents waiting outside! This blissfully funny production remains loyal to the 30s setting and style of the original novel. Its buoyant tone is best described as a “Best of British” school-boy sense of excitement and adventure, full of fizzing dialogue as well as murder, suspense and intrigue. Producer Edward Snape knew from his work with The Reduced Shakespeare Company that the style of The 39 Steps would prove a huge hit with the public. However critics have also heaped praise on the production. Last year it won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and is now poised to make a much heralded transfer to Broadway following its visit to the New Theatre. Snape is confident that Welsh audiences will lap up the fun just as much as the packed London audiences have: “I have no doubt that your audiences will be on the edge of their seats with excitement at one moment and rolling in the aisles with laughter the next!” The 39 Steps Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 February Evenings 7.30pm; Thursday & Saturday Matinees 2.30pm Tickets: £7 - £24 Box Office: 029 2087 8889 Book Online*: www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk *online sales are subject to a small transaction charge |
| new theatre Cardiff web site: www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk |
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Saturday, February 2, 2008 |
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