PRAISE FOR THE 39 STEPS

Before expiring, the blonde gives Hannay reason to flee north to Edinburgh aboard the Flying Scotsman. Plods and mysterious spy-type persons unknown hotly pursue him. He meets another glamorous blonde on the train who is not murdered. All the while his quest for the mysterious "39 steps" keeps him half a step ahead of the pack while immaculately barbered, dressed in a three-piece Harris tweed suit and well-polished brogues.

The denouement is thrilling, or at least, it was in 1935. By the time Hannay saves the Empire from Nazi domination in Barlow's version of Hitchcock's version of Buchan, most theatregoers will probably be too weak with laughter to care one way or the other.

Barlow's usual complement of two actors is bumped up to four to take on the 100+ roles in the piece. Mark Pegler is as debonair and heroic as Michael Wilding in the role of Richard Hannay, Helena Christinson vamps her eyebrows off as the various blondes, living and deceased; while Russell Fletcher and Jo Turner make a brilliant fist of the spies, cops, crofters, publicans, railway guards and other members of the great British public along the way.

Directed by Maria Aitken whose command of farce extends to both sides of the footlights, The 39 Steps is as fine an example of theatre's most difficult form as you're likely to see any time soon. She has immeasurable assistance from a slick backstage crew that works invisbly with the cast to ensure the production purrs as smoothly as a Rolls Royce engine.

It's utterly ridiculous, brilliantly conceived and equally brilliantly realised by the English crew and Australian cast. Aside from sheer entertainment value, The 39 Steps is also a deceptively effortless master class in farce, stagecraft, design wit and flair and some of the most authentic fraffly accents this side of Noel Coward.

Eckshly, one must say it makes one veddeh veddeh heppeh to report thet one might split one's trizers and perheps even fall dine laughing, so awfully funny and frightfully well done is this ripping entertainment.
Diana Simmonds, stagenoise

Spiffing adventure and side-splitting fun. Alfred Hitchcock would have loved it.
Non-stop hilarity.
Daily Telegraph

Jolly amusing. Diverting and fun.
Sydney Morning Herald

Delightful…The morphing of The 39 Steps, the early Hitchcock spine-tingler, into a tour de farce for four actors.
Ben Brantley, New York Times

The deftness of the playing – and, hence, its comic brio – is the result of eagle-eyed precision on the part of director Maria Aitken and movement director
Toby Sedgwick. David Benedict, Variety

Exactly the thing the West End has been waiting for.
The Observer

A joyous version of the Hitchcock classic. Hugely Entertaining. Clever, witty and ingenious.
Sunday Times

Theatrical tomfoolery to die for. Clever, very funny, imaginative and brilliantly acted. Uproariously jolly and splendidly inventive.
The Guardian

A dizzy theatrical game played with wit and versatility.
The Times

Hilarious. A celebration and a parody. Hugely inventive.
The Daily Express

Barlow's affectionate spoof is just the ticket.
Evening Standard

Highly recommended… delightful spoof. Dizzyingly entertaining. Who could resist the inspired nonsense of Patrick Barlow’s spoof, The 39 Steps?
Daily Telegraph

Slips down as easily and agreeably as one of Hannay’s whisky and sodas.
Financial Times

Fast-paced, resourceful and attractively tongue-in-cheek. Independent
A hilarious comic collage.
Sunday Express

I saw a Tuesday matinee and judging from how crowded it was, it may follow in the footsteps of The Reduced Shakespeare Company and take up permanent residence at The Criterion.
The Spectator

Very funny. You can't help but be swept along.
Time Out