This play, which is still running after 7 successful years in the Criterion Theatre in the West End, is based on the Alfred Hitchcock film of 1935 which was a loose adaptation of the original 1915 Book ‘The 39 Steps’ by John Buchan. This hilarious spoof of the film was first performed in front of 90 people in 1995 at Theatre Royal, Richmond, and North Yorkshire before touring the village halls in the area (much like us at SSP). There were a number of films of the book and Hannay has been played by cinema luminaries such as Robert Donat (1935), Kenneth Moore (1939) and Robert Powell (1978). The Robert Powell version has a particular resonance at the Empire in Halstead. When the Empire reopened as a cinema in 1978, the first film was the ‘39 Steps’ and the theatre was reopened by Robert Powell himself. The Empire celebrates its own 100^th Anniversary next year.

This production by Stane Street Players has 6 actors performing over 100 roles whereas the West End production only uses 4. We have 33 scenes, over 100 sound cues and 80 lighting changes. This logistical puzzle was accentuated by the decision to perform at 3 different venues to try to attract as wide an audience as possible and to make all the hard work worthwhile. There is as much activity backstage as in front in this frantic, fast moving play and the backstage crew act as dressers, scene shifters, and special effects people and even appear from time to time in the action. The sound and lighting crew are essential to the action. This has, therefore, been a massive group effort to produce what is an hilarious evening’s entertainment. It has been great fun to rehearse and I would like to thank everyone including  the audience for their support.

John Sanders Director May 2014