Hitchcock’s thriller ’39 Steps’ On Stage

Grab your detective kit and head to the La Jolla Playhouse’s presentation of The 39 Steps – based on Alfred Hitchcock’s movie of the same name – opening to previews Aug. 11. The 39 Steps makes its West Coast premiere at La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre before starting on a national tour.

The Tony and Olivier Award-winning The 39 Steps is a thrilling, fast-paced whodunit packed with nonstop laughs and delightfully inventive staging. Seeking a frivolous night out at the theatre, Richard Hannay is lured into a world of intrigue by a mysterious woman claiming to be a spy. When she winds up dead in his flat, he flees London with the police hot on his trail.

The show features a cast of four actors who, against all odds, breathlessly and hilariously attempt to reenact all of the characters, locations and famous scenes in Hitchcock’s 1935 film thriller with just a few props and a lot of theatrical ingenuity and split second quick changes.

“This runaway Broadway hit offers a riotous take on Hitchcock’s classic film, spinning four virtuoso performances and wonderfully inventive stagecraft into a highly entertaining comedy thriller,” said Playhouse Artistic Director Christopher Ashley.

The cast features Claire Brownell, Ted Deasy, Eric Hissom and Scott Parkinson. The 39 Steps is directed by Maria Aitken and adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow, based on an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, based on the book by John Buchan.

The 39 Steps
Presented by the La Jolla Playhouse
Aug. 11 – Sept. 13 (Previews Aug. 11 – 16)
Tickets: $30-$65

In the Mandell Weiss Theatre, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive
(Located on the UCSD Campus via the Revelle Entrance)
Box Office: 858.550.1010
Online: lajollaplayhouse.com