New City Players Presents 'The 39 Steps'
Hilarious and Energetic Production in South Florida
By: Aaron Krause - Oct 06, 2025
“A visit to the theater; that should do the trick!” our world-weary protagonist exclaims in The 39 Steps. He’s referring to his sudden thought that seeing a show might take his mind off his and the world’s troubles.
Of course, Richard Hannay is speaking in 1935 England, but those of us in 2025 America can relate. Who among us wouldn’t welcome a light, comic diversion from today’s grim headlines? Fortunately, New City Players (NCP) delivers just that with a gleefully chaotic, golden comic treat: the company’s endlessly entertaining professional production of The 39 Steps, running through Oct. 19 at Island City Stage’s intimate black box theater in Wilton Manors.
In The 39 Steps, Canadian Richard Hannay gets caught in a web of espionage after a beautiful woman, Annabella Smith, is murdered in his London flat. Falsely accused of the murder, Hannay flees and embarks on a frantic adventure across the British countryside to uncover the meaning of "The 39 Steps" – the name of a spy ring trying to steal top-secret information from Britain.
Patrick Barlow based his stage adaptation on Alfred Hitchcock’s famous 1935 film, also titled The 39 Steps. The movie, in turn, was inspired by John Buchan’s 1915 novel—often credited as the first English spy thriller. The live show features a delightful combination of Hitchcock and Monty Python style humor.
Under Ali Tallman’s brisk, precise direction, the two-hour-and-15-minute production, including intermission, whizzes by like a bullet train. Yet Tallman wisely allows time to savor the show’s metatheatrical jokes and winking references to Hitchcock’s films. But you don’t have to be a Hitchcock devotee—or know a MacGuffin from a McMuffin—to enjoy the carefully choreographed chaos that unfolds onstage.
Deft comic timing and seemingly boundless energy define NCP’s memorable mounting, thanks to Tallman and her abundantly talented four-performer cast. Brandon Campbell as Hannay, Camille Schiavone as the three women who cross his path, and Rayner Gabriel and Kalen Edean as Clown 1 and Clown 2 deliver a master class in comic acting. You marvel as the performers seamlessly segue from one character to another, with lightning-fast quick changes happening in view and offstage. Between them, they portray what feels like hundreds of characters—and hardly miss a beat. The energy never sags, and the performers convincingly inhabit each role, though at times their accents make it a challenge to catch every word.
Tallman’s direction embraces the spirit of the theatrical clown—a resourceful, indomitable figure able to adapt to whatever curveballs life flings, unafraid to take risks or appear foolish. “In the end, [Hannay’s] greatest discovery isn’t a spy secret, but a profoundly human one,” Tallman writes in her program note. “Authenticity is found not in how we are perceived, but in caring about something so much, we are willing to look truly foolish.”
The actors, particularly Gabriel and Edean, wear red noses through much of the play, underscoring the clown motif. They hold nothing back as they gesture wildly and speak in exaggerated tones to bring the show’s eccentrics to vivid life. Time and space don’t allow a full list of their triumphs, but several moments stand out: a protracted groan that stretches on like a never-ending foghorn; the performer playing Mr. Memory flawlessly reciting a lengthy mathematical formula; and Hannay’s ingenious “escape” through a square-shaped object conjured out of thin air. In the finale, “snow” rains down on Hannay and Pamela—clearly dropped by actors visible onstage above. We know it’s make-believe, yet we happily suspend disbelief because the performers are so fully invested in the play’s joyous illusions.
Other delightful moments include a scene transition that shifts from frantic to serene in an instant, accompanied by peaceful, spa-like music.
In many ways, Barlow’s stage adaptation is a love letter to storytelling, live theater, and, of course, Hitchcock himself. The line “Not that window! The rear window!” is a delightful Easter egg—a nod to the director’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. A musical-theater wink arrives when train passengers rock rhythmically to suggest a moving train—evoking the traveling salesmen’s number “Rock Island” from The Music Man.
Thanks to lighting designer Annabel Herrera’s fine work, the production often captures an appropriately noirish atmosphere, complete with dim lighting, shadowy scrim effects, and quietly romantic music underscoring seductively spoken dialogue. Theatrical fog further enhances the mood, while more energetic scenes glow under brighter light.
NCP’s staging also includes several metatheatrical moments—instances when the play playfully calls attention to itself. One example: a performer claps rapidly to summon a stagehand to remove a prop. In another, during a scene set in a London theater, a character points to us as the audience gathered to witness Mr. Memory’s feats. Curiously, this moment also features canned audience laughter. Why not simply let the real, present audience respond?
While flaws are few, a couple choices are questionable. Specifically, in one scene, a law enforcement officer adopts an oddly Southern drawl. Referring to a tomato as a “tomahto” makes far more sense within the show’s English setting.
England is not the only country represented in the live adaptation of The 39 Steps. Accents suggesting Ireland and Scotland also surface. In addition, a couple characters are German, hence the pronunciation "The 39 Shteps." However, perhaps Hannay, a Canadian visiting England, might have been more convincingly portrayed with a Canadian accent.
Speaking of Hannay, Campbell excels in his portrayal of our troubled protagonist. With wide dark eyes, wavy brown hair, and a pencil moustache, he appropriately looks and sounds like a man on the verge of breakdown, desperate for respite from routine. Campbell’s comic timing is impeccable. When other characters on a train read aloud that Hannay is wanted for murder, his eyes widen at precisely the right moment for a laugh. Later, when a newscaster announces the suspect is “handsome,” Hannay admiringly preens.
As Pamela, Schiavone radiates irritation—especially after Hannay and Pamela find themselves handcuffed together. Earlier, she lends Annabella an air of mystery and drama, and a shy, sweet quality to Margaret, the farmer’s wife who shelters Hannay.
The actors perform on scenic designer Michael McClain’s minimalist yet functional set, which includes period details such as an old-fashioned radio. Curving walls, multiple chest-like boxes, and lighted structures neatly suggest a theater setting. Hanging signs efficiently indicate different locales without the need for extensive scenery.
Casey Sacco’s period costumes enhance each character’s individuality, and Grace Cirillo’s intimacy choreography lends believability to the show’s physical and romantic moments.
To this critic, Hitchcock’s 1935 The 39 Steps, however famous, feels slow-paced and lethargic. How welcome, then, is NCP’s delightfully lively, brisk, and imaginative production of Barlow’s silly and suspenseful stage version. During a post-show talkback, one audience member declared that NCP’s production was “better than any Saturday Night Live episode.” That’s high praise—and well deserved.
Unquestionably, NCP’s The 39 Steps is a comic treat that invigorates and reminds us why this small company so richly deserves the first-ever Jan McArt Award. The company will receive the honor at next month’s Carbonell Awards for outstanding achievement by a small theater. It’s a little early to think about next year’s Carbonells, but this production deserves such consideration. And just as Hannay hoped at the top of the play, a dose of escapist live theater is, indeed, the antidote for many of us who struggle to climb out of bed every day under the constant barrage of bad news.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: New City Players’ production of The 39 Steps.
WHEN: Through Oct. 19.
WHERE: Island City Stage’s intimate black box theater in Wilton Manors.
TICKETS: Tickets are $40-45 except for the "pay what you wish" preview on Oct. 3rd. You can buy tickets at https://newcityplayers.org/shows/the39steps. For student and group discounts, email the box office at boxoffice@newcityplayers.org, or call (954) 376-6114.
MORE INFO: In addition to 13 performances spread over 3 weekends, NCP has planned engaging post-show events that take audiences “Beyond the Stage.”
Weekend Wine Downs: Enjoy a casual time of conversation, laughs, and libations after the Friday and Saturday night performances where patrons can discuss the play with each other and members of the creative team. .
Sunday Talkbacks! For those looking to go deeper on the process of bringing this play to life and step into New City Players' theatre-making process, you can join the cast and creative team after every Sunday performance for an interactive and engaging talkback.