It’s never easy adapting a classic Alfred Hitchcock movie for the stage. It’s especially difficult when you have only four actors to fill the roles of 60 characters in a small intimate setting.
For Theatre in the Country artistic director Reg Parks, the chance to produce Hitchcock’s classic film noir 39 Steps was too much to pass up.
“It’s really an amazing show,” said Parks.
“The speed of which the actors change and the sheer audacity of becoming so many characters is amazing to see. It’s a real frolic.”
The play runs until Saturday, March 7 and features Morgan Ariss, Paul Beckett, Francis Boyle and Mariah van Herwaarden taking on the daunting task of playing the wide range of charters.
“We are really proud of this show, and I am so impressed with the level of talent that we have found in our local actors to pull this kind of a show off as such a high calibre,” Parks said.
Projecting images on stage will give the play the film noir feel. Parks said Theatre in the Country has been wanting to perform 39 Steps since he and a few cast members saw it performed in London.
“We fell in love with it right away. Morgan Ariss has been bugging me for the past five years to do this and the time seemed right.”
While Saturday marks the end of this show, Parks said the he’s preparing to perform Educating Rita with Jessica Tabak. The play will run from April 9 to 25 and will also serve as Theatre in the Country’s entry for for this year’s Theatre B.C. Mainstage competition.
• Tickets for 39 Steps are available at www.theatreinthecountry.com or call the box office 604-259-9737.