39 Steps

I went and saw a play called the 39 Steps at the Criterion Theater. It is a comedic adaptation of an Alfred Hitchcock film which was originally a novel by John Buchan. This play’s concept is to have the over 100 characters played entirely by only 4 people. This adds to the comedy of the play. The decision to go to this play was pretty last minute and it was my first professional play I have attended. I dressed business casual because I did not know what to expect but many people were wearing much more casual clothing. At first I wanted to purchase tickets online, but I called the theater and they had a student discount of 15 pounds when the show time is near. I caught the last tube to Piccadilly Circus just in time. This was the beginning night of the tube strike so I was lucky to have caught a train. While I waiting outside for the show to start, there were many street performers dancing and playing music to draw the attention and money of the crowds around the square. When I entered the theater, I was surprised at the size of the stage and theater. When I looked at the seating charts online, it seemed as if the theater was pretty large, but it was not.

The performers in the play were spectacular and did a great job of shifting between the roles they played. At one point, one of the characters had half of a costume on and was having a conversation with himself. Hats played a role in distinguishing between characters, especially when role switching was very fast. There was also clever stage maneuvering to achieve playing multiple roles and it all in all was a great show to watch. Students should definitely go and watch this play. I would definitely go back and see another production at this theater. ~Alex