The 39 Steps- KADS

I ventured to watch KADS' latest production with a fair degree of trepidation, as I was certain there had been at least two other versions of this show put on around the traps in the last 12 months- neither of which I had seen, it must be said. This adaptation of the John Buchan classic by Patrick Barlow is a rollercoaster ride of suspense, affectionate parody, pastiche and plain old schtick. Most of us will be aware of the story of Richard Hannay and the machinations he finds himself embroiled in, however those unfamiliar with the Hitchcock film will find many of the exquisite gags going over your head. Terry Hackett has demonstrated her renowned panache as a director with this production. Set in a simple marble-look room with the prerequisite farce door (complete with rollerblind), Terry is able to evoke many locations with simple props (be sure to pay attention to the supertext projections), a dedicated crew of Mummers (a simple yet ingenious device) and five brilliant cast members. Adrian Wood and Claire Taylor are perfect in their respective roles of comic dashing hero and heartbreaking comic ingenue. Both these actors have nailed the style of the genre to a tee- Wood's mannerisms, vocal inflections and timing are spot on, and Taylor's intuition for how to manipulate the scream queen persona perfectly brings uncannily to mind the performance of Madeline Carroll in Hitchcock's film. Taylor is FAR funnier though... AundraÁªa Stevens secures her place as one of Perth's most accomplished comic actors with not one but FOUR pivotal roles- all of which requiring ludicrously over-the-top accents. Splendid! Somewhat unflatteringly described as "Clowns", Paul Treasure and Adrian Lewis (welcome back!) both triumph in their multitudinous roles; be they villains, police or hilariously geriatric Scots, they both work off each other superbly- Lewis' turn as Mr Memory is a particular highlight. This being opening night I did sense some jitters- a couple of line flubs here and there, and the occasional tech goof. These hesitancies didn't allow the audience to appreciate the silliness of the piece until much later, but by half an hour in we had figured out the tone of this loving mickey-take and we were right there along for the ride. I can easily imagine that this show will get bigger as the run progresses, as the cast over time fully flesh out how the crowd will register the parody? However the overall impression is of a fine-tuned show, slickly produced and performed by actors with a true understanding of the style. Great fun! Book quick, this one is nearly a sell-out season. Eliot McCann