John Buchan’s 1915 novel, The 39 Steps, was adapted into a classically suspenseful film by Alfred Hitchcock in the 1930s. The film was itself adapted into a four-hander stage version in the 1990s by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. The current version, which also only includes four actors, was adapted by Patrick Barlow, and has been a big hit with audiences since the curtain first went up in 2005: fast, farcical and funny.

The story follows Richard Hannay (last night understudied by Jacob Daniels), who finds himself embroiled in a thrilling plot with spies, gunshots and hidden messages. He’s dragged into the story by the theatrically German femme fatale Annabella Schmidt (Safeena Ladha), who tells him about the mysterious ‘39 Steps’, although she doesn’t have the time to explain what they actually are.

Chased by policemen, wrong ‘uns impersonating policemen, and Scottish farmers, Hannay makes his way across a comedy bog, handcuffed to the beautiful Pamela (Safeena Ladha again - she plays all the Hitchcockian ladies). They find refuge in a remote hotel, where Hannay must work out how to evade the law, clear his name, and explain to Pamela that he is not a dangerous murderer. Easier said than done…

The remainder of the cast are played - with a great deal of clever hat-swapping - by Eugene McCoy and Maddie Rice, modestly listed as Clown 1 and Clown 2. Both clowns perform with energy, skill, and an amount of quick changes that allow them to play multiple roles in the same scene - occasionally ending up having a conversation with themselves.

The wit behind this adaptation is the secret to its longevity and success. The stage is relatively bare, with ladders and a chair or two or two morphing to become different exotic locations - even the Forth Bridge. Doors and windows are wheeled around the stage as characters make daring escapes, and a whole high-speed train sequence is conjured up in ingenious ways.

Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of the show has been on stage for nearly twenty years. While the gags definitely still raised laughter in the auditorium, and the audience clearly appreciated the references to different Hitchcock films dotted throughout the production, it feels as though the show’s original spark and energy might be on the wane. However, it’s still a good watch for fans of Hitchcock’s film, or the suspense genre as a whole.

Four stars

Reviewed by Jessica Clixby at The Alexandra, Birmingham, on Tuesday 4 June. The 39 Steps continues to show at the venue until Saturday 8 June.