The 39 Steps stage show starring Lisa McCune and The Umbilical Brothers heads to Brisbane
An Alfred Hitchcock thriller gets a hilarious stage makeover for its run at QPAC this year, including a double act you might not expect, as the cast races through a “dazzling display of quick changes”.
Entertainment
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A fast-paced theatrical take on Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps will head to Brisbane in October as part of a national tour starring Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake and comedy duo The Umbilical Brothers, David Collins and Shane Dundas.
The Olivier- and Tony Award-winning stage adaptation will run at QPAC’s Playhouse from October 7 to 19, promising a high-energy blend of classic suspense and physical comedy. In just 100 minutes, four actors will perform 130 roles in what producers describe as a “dazzling display of quick changes, inventive stagecraft and high-energy hilarity.”
Directed by Damien Ryan, the production reimagines the classic Hitchcock thriller through a lens of Monty Python-style absurdity, following the unsuspecting Richard Hannay as he’s thrust into a whirlwind spy conspiracy after being wrongly accused of murder.
“We have always loved the stage adaptation of The 39 Steps and feel like the time is right for Australia to have a new production of this inventive, laugh-out-loud tour de force for four actors,” producers Neil Gooding and Alex Woodward said.
“We are very excited to have assembled such an amazing cast to bring this show to life.”
The production has already played to more than 3 million people across 39 countries, from London’s West End to Broadway.
This new Australian staging reunites McCune and Stenlake — best known for Sea Patrol — and introduces The Umbilical Brothers’ signature physical comedy to the classic espionage tale.
“It’s one of the world’s first and most exciting spy thrillers,” Mr Ryan said.
“It’s about a listless, restless everyman … finding love and courage and above all standing up against the surveillance state, political intrigue and a national betrayal.”
Tickets for the Brisbane season are on presage now via QPAC, with general public sales opening on May 22.
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