‘The 39 Steps’ brings lively Hitchcock comedy adaptation to Syracuse Stage (review)

For its second production of the season, Syracuse Stage, in collaboration with Indiana Repertory Theatre, presents “The 39 Steps,” an adaptation for the stage by Patrick Barlow from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film of the same title.

Benjamin Hanna directs this madcap farce which seems to balance between tongue-in-cheek intrigue and an out-of-control, middle school gym class. Kudos go to Mr. Hanna for his directorial labors and expertise which might have been akin to directing traffic in a Keystone Kop maelstrom.

Not familiar with the Hitchcock film? No worries; don’t have to be. Don’t know anything about Hitchcock? Not a problem. Your eyes and ears will be so busy watching and listening to the goings-on, you won’t have time or inclination to pick up on the several title references to his films that are seamlessly woven into the dialogue. But if you do, so much the better for a richer experience.

Self confession: This English romp is not my cup of tea. When you are witness to sporadic shrieks of laughter in a comic setting that will usually garner at least, say, 75-85% audience participation, and you know you are not the only one not laughing, you are viewing what I call a “niche” comedy. And that’s okay as long as you resist the inclination for self-analysis, wondering what’s wrong with your own sense of humor.

Unlike straight or serious drama, because of the variance in people’s “funny bones,” actors often say comedy is a more difficult form to express successfully. I believe that is true.

If your own comic sensibility runs parallel to shows like “Noises Off,” “One Man, Two Guvnors,” “What the Butler Saw,” or the many, masterful incarnations of this genre by The Monty Python Comedy Troupe, you will enjoy and revel in what this play has to offer.

Its plot is relatively simple despite its myriad complications: Richard Hannay (Jurgen Hooper), a handsome, 37-year-old man-about-town is pursued by Scotland Yard for the murder of a femme fatale, Annabella Schmidt (Tyler Meredith) who was a foreign spy (what else?) found knifed to death in Hannay’s apartment.

Like Hannay, we know the truth; the dozens of other characters portrayed do not. Most of the characterizations are performed by Clown 1 (Ema Zivkovic) and Clown 2 (Michael Stewart Allen). And so, the masterful performances by these four actors ensue.

And that’s where this adaptation shines brightly. It’s in the verbal and kinetic skills of the actors.

When four individuals can manage dozens of characterizations with demands for changes in vocal pitch and physical movement, along with rapid costume changes and outright transformation before our eyes, we are witnessing performance skills honed to a knife’s edge.

And when the actors look and sound like they’re having a ball doing what they’re doing, that’s worth gold to the theater devotee, despite the direction of one’s funny bone.

Deceptively simple staging reveals strong technical work, from the wig design, to lighting effects, to the complications in wardrobe design. Creative choices included an airplane cleverly constructed from spare props and a ladder, along with an automobile replete with headlights, and a table lamp held high to mimic a street light.

Show details

What: “The 39 Steps,” a play adapted from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film

Where: Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St., Syracuse

When: October 22 through November 9

Length of performance: 1 hour, 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission

Family guide: Nothing objectionable, but suited to mature high school students due to rapid pace and dialogue.

Tickets and information: 315-443-3275 and syracusestage.org