Review: THE 39 STEPS at SF Playhouse

Director Susi Damilano and a superb cast spin comic gold out of Patrick Barlow’s parody of Hitchcock’s spy caper filled with chase scenes, female bombshells, and Nazi villains. With a cast of four actors portraying over 100 roles, and even doubling parts in the same scene, The 39 Steps is an actor’s dream – a chance to have pure fun and show off a bit. Damilano’s staging and her cast of Phil Wong as the hero Richard Hannay, Maggie Mason as numerous romantic interests, and Greg Ayers and Renee Rogoff as the clowns make it seamless and effortless.

The plot mirrors many pre-WW II spy dramas complete with enigmatic secret codes, mysterious enemies, chases, and the fate of humanity on the line. Here, farce rules and the situations played for comic effects. Wong is fantastic as the bored Englishman thrown into a series of events after he’s accused of murdering a strange woman. Her dying declaration throws him into a mystery to discover exactly what the 39 Steps are.

Hannay keeps falling for a number of women – the hotelier’s wife, a train passenger and Annabella Schmidt, all played with exaggerated drama by Maggie Mason. Greg Ayers and Renee Rogoff shine throughout with brilliant comic timing and quick character changes reminiscent of Charles Ludlam‘s The Mystery of Irma Vep. The laughs keep coming at breakneck speed incorporating references to other Hitchcock films, simulated train and car rides, and a hilarious pantyhose removal.

The 39 Steps is highly popular for theatre companies and Damilano and her crew (scenic design by Heather Kenyon, costume design by Alice Ruiz, lighting by Derek Duarte, properties by Blue Hephaestus and sound design by Dan Holland) all deserve kudos for this purely fun production.

The 39 Steps continues through April 20th. For tickets, call 877-662-8978 or online at sfplayhouse.org