PREVIEW ‘The 39 Steps’ to be staged in Ferndown

Ferndown Drama’s next production will be Patrick Barlow’s hilarious stage adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic spy thriller, ‘The 39 Steps’.

This riotous adaptation was inspired both by John Buchan’s 1915 ground-breaking novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film. Having distilled both works into a wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller, Barlow has created a play that is in equal parts homage and parody.

The result is a masterpiece of minimalist comedy that delivers big laughs while paying loving tribute to its source material.

The play follows the dashing Richard Hannay who becomes entangled in an international conspiracy after a mysterious woman is murdered in his apartment. With her dying breath, she warns him of a shadowy organization called The 39 Steps. What ensues is a whirlwind of suspense that takes you from the bustling streets of London to the remote Scottish Highlands, as Hannay embarks on a thrilling adventure filled with daring antics, zany characters, ghastly murders, and some good old-fashioned romance.

The production will be staged at the Barrington Theatre in Ferndown from 9 to 12 April.

Tickets are available from the Barrington, on the door or via www.ticketsource.co.uk/ferndown-drama.