Alfred Hitchcock is a multi-award-winning director that would be known as the ‘master of suspense. Many of his films have found their way to the stage, including North by Northwest and Dial M for Murder. However, it is not often that there is an opportunity to see a parody of one of Hitchcock’s films, The 39 Steps.
Thankfully, this multi-award-winning play has made its way to Melbourne, opening at the Comedy Theatre on the 11th of September 2025.
Written by Patrick Barlow, The 39 Steps originally premiered in the UK back in 1996 with an American debut in 2007 that would go on to win two Tony Awards, The 39 Steps is a four-person, multi-character parody play. The main character and hero of the story, Richard Hannay, portrayed by Ian Stenlake, is framed for murder. However, Hannay finds himself in the middle of a foreign spy conspiracy and sets out on a journey to not only clear his name but uncover the mysteries of The 39 Steps.
Having never seen the original 1935 Hitchcock film, I had no idea what to expect. But after hearing that this production was a unique comedy spin on a classic spy thriller, I was in! I was also drawn in by the idea of four cast portraying more characters than I could bear to count.
We have the aforementioned Ian Stenlake who portrays the main character of Canadian, Richard Hannay. Lisa McCune who takes on the role of all the female characters of Annabella Schmidt, Pamela and Margaret. Then, taking on every other character, and sometimes multiple characters at once, the comedic duo and living legends, David Collins and Shane Dundas from the Umbilical Brothers.
Produced by Neil Gooding and Alex Woodward with direction from Damien Ryan, The 39 Steps is easily one of the best plays I have seen this year. It has been a while since I had seen, not just a great comedy, but an intelligent one. With only what I could describe as a Monty Python style production, I found myself laughing and slapping my thighs throughout the entire show.
The production itself is a technical marvel. The set design from James Browne has a monotonal vibe. And combined with Browne’s costume design, the black and white feel is only enhanced with pale make-up and the clean neutral tones in the clothing. The entire production design felt like the packed Comedy Theatre had been transported into a classic Hitchcock film.
Just when I thought I couldn’t be impressed any further, the lighting design is arguably the best I have seen. Matthew Marshall has done a phenomenal job to light the stage in a way that savours the black and white feel of the costuming. But what impressed the most was the shadow play. Like the classic noir detective thrillers mixed with some clever shadow puppet like comedy, I was thoroughly impressed. Marshall’s design really brought The 39 Steps to life.
If the production value of this show isn’t enough to convince you, then this stellar cast certainly will. Lisa McCune stuns in her multi-character duties, whether it be the glamourous Annabella Schmidt, the cautious yet curious Pamela or the shy yet promiscuous Margaret, McCune is brilliant in every role. This is the first time I have seen McCune on stage in a comedy, and I was thoroughly impressed. Not only are the delivery of her lines and execution of the wide variety of her characters is flawless, but her brand of physical comedy is hilariously wonderful.
Ian Stenlake’s portrayal of the main character Richard Hannay is amazing and whilst Stenlake doesn’t take on any other roles, he has some rather long monologues that left me impressed with the delivery. Not only is Stenlake a wonderful actor, but he has some great comedic timing too! And with some of the shenanigans that his co-stars bring to the stage, I’m not sure how he manages to stay in character. Truly a stellar performance.
Although Stenlake’s character Hannay is the hero of the story, these next two are the clear heroes of this production. Commonly known as the Umbilical Brothers, David Collins and Shane Dundas are comedy royalty. Their brand of slapstick, pantomime, and auditory style of comedy is perfect for The 39 Steps. Their ability to slip in and out of characters with their faultless performance is quite the sight to see. Much like their own comedy shows, the duo also brings some sound effects to the production. Combined with some hilarious accents and funny body language, Collins and Dundas had the entire theatre howling with laughter. I lost count of the number of characters that they both took on, but every single one they portrayed was clearly distinct from the others.
Despite never seeing the original film, this parody version of The 39 Steps would impress even the most die-hard Hitchcock fans. Even when somethings didn’t go as planned, the quick wit of the excellent cast made it part of the show. Comedy aside, the narrative is equally as intriguing and exciting to witness unfold, with a classic mystery payoff at the end. The set, the lighting, the sound, the performances, everything about The 39 Steps is perfection.
Proudly presented by Woodward Productions and Neil Gooding Productions, The 39 Steps is performing now at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre until the 4th of October before heading to Brisbane’s QPAC from the 7th to 19th of October.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://the39steps.com.au
https://www.instagram.com/the39stepsplay
Photography by Cameron Grant.
