Special Coverage 2008 Fall Movie PreviewThe Must List2008 Fall TV PreviewSound Bites
  • --
39-steps_l
THE 39 STEPS Arnie Burton and Cliff Saunders in the Roundabout Theatre Company production on Broadway Pictured (l-r):
Joan Marcus

Credits

Opening Date: Jan 04, 2008; Lead Performances: Arnie Burton, Charles Edwards, Jennifer Ferrin and Cliff Saunders; Writers: Patrick Barlow, Alfred Hitchcock; Director: Maria Aitken; Genres: Comedy, Crime

What does it take to adapt Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 thriller The 39 Steps for the stage? Four actors, some deliberately low-tech props, and a good deal of wit. This London hit barnstorms through Hitch's murder mystery in a deliciously farcical, British-music-hall style, with three performers assuming multiple roles — often in the same scene. The show isn't perfect: The MacGuffin-laden plot can drag (as it does in the original film), and some of the characters are played a tad too broadly for laughs. But for the most part, The 39 Steps is all that and a packet of crisps. (212-719-1300) B+


Sign up for EW.com's The 25 newsletter!

Stay in the know and get EW.com's top 5 stories, 5 days a week (sent weekday afternoons).
Posted Jan 18, 2008
 

Add Your Comments

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. You must have javascript enabled to submit a comment.
--
Change/Edit your grade
characters remaining