Film & Theatre, Reviews | Posted on September 26th, 2025 | return to news

The 39 Steps

Revive Theatre, Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne

By Luke Graham

This thrilling performance of ‘The 39 Steps’ by local performers is laugh-out-loud funny with impressive production design and is well worth a night out to the theatre.

Based on John Buchan’s 1915 novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film from 1935, this stage adaption turns the classic thriller into comic farce. It satirises espionage stories, parodies Hitchcock’s cinematic style, and plays with the conventions of theatre itself, while still telling a tense story of spies, murder and intrigue.

The show follows Richard Hannay, a dashing yet ordinary British gentleman, who suddenly finds himself pulled into a sinister conspiracy after an encounter with a mysterious woman, forcing him to travel the country and avoid the authorities, all to discover who or what are ‘The 39 Steps’.

This stage version challenges four actors to play over 130 roles and portray exciting set pieces like a train chase, bridge escape, and plane crash using simple stage props.

Revive Theatre have done a remarkable job with this technically challenging play. The stage design is brilliant and highly professional, and the cast are all incredibly funny.

Sean Beaumont does an impeccable job as Richard Hannay, on stage for almost every scene, able to garner the audience’s sympathy while still playing up the jokes.

Tabitha Cox has to play three very different female parts: the mysterious secret agent Annabelle, the simple country girl Margaret, and the no-nonsense Pamela. She plays each part fantastically, with excellent physical comedy.

Every other role is played by two clowns — that’s not an insult, that’s what they’re called in the programme! Chris Stowe and Dean Rawson (also the technical director, set designer and set builder of the company) play their parts excellently. They get to have the most fun by playing such a diverse range of characters, from police and pilots to farmers and villains. The loudest laughs of the night were caused by the antics to these two.

Revive Theatre was founded just a few years ago, and this is their third production after ‘Dial M for Murder’ in 2023 and last year’s ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ starring the brilliant local performer Jamie Riding.

Their latest show delivers playful, slapstick humour, performed at a professional standard. It’s on tonight at 7.30pm and tomorrow at 2.30pm and 7.30pm at The Tivoli in Wimborne Minster, or catch it at The Mowlem in Swanage on 9 and 10 October.