A funny thing happens in the stage adaptation of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller that introduced the man-on-the-run genre to Hollywood.
“Monty Python’s Flying Circus” reappears.
So to be fair, lots of funny things happen. Maybe too many.
Drury Lane Theatre’s staging of the Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End hit, “The 39 Steps” is a slapstick-lover’s dream. Featuring four exceptionally talented actors, three of whom play roles too numerous to count, this production is literally a-gag-a-minute.
Set in England and Scotland in 1935, the story centers on Richard Hannay’s inadvertent adventure, begun when he tries to help a female spy. He wakes up to find her dead in his apartment, then flees from the police and an espionage organization, trying to discover the truth and clear his name. The whirlwind journey comically transports the audience to a chase on a train, a plane crash, a luxurious Scottish manor, a London flat, London Palladium and countless other locales.
There’s no doubt Peter Simon Hilton as Hannay; Angela Ingersoll as Annabella, Margaret and Pamela; and Jeff Dumas and Paul Kalina as about 135 others are terrific talents. The staging is complex and superb, and these actors’ comedic timing, featuring a plethora of costume (and a few sex) changes, is impeccable.
What’s lost is interest in the story itself.
This show just strikes one observer as more fun to be in than to take in. Bits that advance an interesting story line are hysterical. But when the plot line thins, ultimately existing only for comedic opportunity, the result is disappointing and ultimately less funny.
It’s telltale that this narrative’s great mystery surrounding the 39 Steps organization is only partially revealed. More so, by the time it is, neither the characters onstage nor the audience really cares.
The type of comedy “The 39 Steps” resembles is “Monty Python,” “The Carol Burnett Show” and “Saturday Night Live.” And there’s good reason the best of these is represented by a five-minute sketch.
But this show is a full two-hours-plus. So think if Tim Conway and Carol Burnett made “Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins—The Movie” and decide if that’s a desirable evening’s entertainment. If so, head on down to Oakbrook Terrace and check out this show.
“The 39 Steps” runs through August 26 at the Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, less than a 1-hour drive from all North Shore suburbs. Tickets range from $35 to $46 with some student and senior discounts. Dinner packages are also available Parking is complimentary. Information and tickets are available online at www.drurylaneoakbrook.com or by phone (630) 530-0111.
