” The 39 Steps”

**** Murder Mysteries? Slapstick comedy? They all await you at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook as they present “The 39 Steps”, based on the film by Alfred Hitchcock. This is a farce with a capital “F”, as a cast of 4 actors brings this classic tale to life. Each season Drury Lane does one non-musical and this is it!

Conceived by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and featuring Gavin Lee, we watch four actors bring 160 characters to life. The workload falls primarily on the other three players in this laugh-a-minute work. Mr. Lee plays only one character, Richard Hannay and does so with just the right touch. The other characters are played by Caitlin Gallogly, playing most of the female characters and the two clowns, that take on a myriad of roles.
The Clowns and their abilities are key to making this play work. They must have perfect timing as they switch characters just by changing caps or hats. Tom Detrinis and Zuhdi Boueri are amazing in how they handle each of the roles they need to play in order to keep the fast paced comedy on course. I must say that Boueri plays some great female roles and the audience appreciated his every move.

The story is silly in that Richard brings a woman home from a show and finds her dead in the morning. Of course, being that they were the only ones in his flat, he is thought to be the killer and flees in order to get to the bottom of why she was killed. The high-speed chase and the search for answers allow for some great comic touches.

Sharpley directed by Johanna McKenzie Miller on a cleverly designed set by Angela Weber Miller the actors do their thing, assisting in changing the set as well. The costumes (Rachel Boylan), lighting (Lee Fiskness), and sound (Ray Nardelli) are all flawless and Cassy Schillo’s props are fantastic!

If you enjoy laughing, almost non-stop, then you will have a ball. If you are not into farce, I suggest you consider missing this one and waiting for the next musical.

“The 39 Steps” will continue thru August 13th with performances as follows:
Wednesdays 1:30 p.m.
Thursdays 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Fridays 7 p.m.
Saturdays 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sundays 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Tickets range from$85 and are available by calling 630-530-0111 or online at www.DruryLaneTheatre.com

Drury Lane Theatre is located at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. There are dinner and lunch packages available- lots of free parking

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “The 39 Steps”.