The 39 Steps - UK tour

By coincidence, this evening’s performance marked 11 years exactly on from my first and only trip to see The 39 Steps at the West End’s Criterion Theatre. More than a decade on and this charming madcap show is still going, this time as a national tour.

If I’m honest, the second time around didn’t quite live up to the memory. Perhaps it’s not as effective in a theatre more than double the size of the Criterion. Maybe it was that this cast just didn’t seem as sharp with their comedy beats as the OG. It might just be as simple as it was this company’s opening performance and the chemistry will come.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s still an enjoyable evening. The multi-rolling by the tight cast of four and the subsequent quick changes remain hugely impressive. Some of the scenes are just as funny as they always were. But something just didn’t quite click for me tonight.

At its heart, The 39 Steps is a fast-paced comedy caper about a classic English gent getting caught up in pre-war spy drama. But it is possible that in the decade since I last saw it, other shows have just moved the genre on to new levels. I’m thinking Operation Mincemeat as an obvious example but even The Play That Goes Wrong and Police Cops have taken physical stage comedies to new highs.

Look, it’s still jolly good fun. Maybe in a smaller theatre with a slightly better suited cast I could love it as much as I did first time around. But, for now, it remains a pretty good night at the theatre.

Three stars.