"Unstageable" 39 Steps live in Oxford (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

"Unstageable" 39 Steps live in Oxford

THEY said it was unstageable but this summer catch The 39 Steps live on stage at Oxford Playhouse until July 23.

Gasp as four actors transport you into a world of dastardly espionage, breathless romance and daredevil escapes.

Written originally as a novel in 1915 by John Buchan, and made into a memorable film by Alfred Hitchcock (voted one of the top five British films of all time), this stage version includes all the most legendary scenes from the chase on the Flying Scotsman and the escape on the Forth Bridge, to the first theatrical bi-plane crash ever staged and the sensational death-defying finale in the London Palladium.

The 39 Steps tells the fast paced and furious adventures of innocent hero Richard Hannay as he is catapulted into the midst of a sinister plot to steal military secrets, following the murder of a young woman in his Bloomsbury apartment.

He runs from the police and secret agents, from London to the highlands and back again, leaving many memorable characters in his wake, not to mention a beautiful woman at every turn.

A triumph of hope over adversity, this delightfully staged production celebrates theatricality, the inventive set design by Peter McKintosh allows the action-packed story to flow seamlessly from one location to another, and is brought vividly to life by the talented and versatile cast of four.

The cast comprises Robert Whitelock as Richard Hannay, Lisa Jackson as Pamela, Annabella and Margaret with Simon Gregor and Mark Hadfield performing the many other roles.

Robert Whitelock is a regular on British television and has appeared in programmes ranging from The Bill, Midsomer Murders and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries to Playing The Field.

His theatre work includes numerous plays for the RSC.