All aboard for TNB’s The 39 Steps
29 September 2011
On October 13, Theatre New Brunswick will open their 2011-2012 Main Stage season with Broadway’s longest running comedy thriller, Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.
When a man bored with life meets a mysterious woman with a thick accent and a big secret, murder, mayhem and hilarity ensue. A nationwide manhunt, an onstage plane crash and some good old-fashioned romance climax in a death-defying finale. Based on the 1915 novel by former Canadian Governor-General John Buchan and the subsequent 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock, Patrick Barlow’s 2005 adaptation became one of Broadway’s most popular and longest running hits in recent years.
“The 39 Steps takes all of the thrilling elements of Hitchcock’s early film masterpiece, gives it a hilarious twist and vamps it up into farce with wonderful theatrical trickery,” says TNB Artistic Producer Caleb Marshall. “It’s a real comic and physical tour de force and our exceptional quartet of actors are going to take our audience on a wild ride.”
Gordon Gammie (TNB’s Narnia, A Christmas Carol) returns for his third TNB production as leading man Richard Hannay.
“It’s always great to return to Theatre New Brunswick and to Fredericton,” says Gammie. “I’m having a terrific time working with this talented cast and company and look forward to sharing the show with our audiences.”
The 39 Steps also marks the TNB debut of New Brunswick actress Rachel Jones. A St. Thomas University alumnus, Jones will show off her skills as a comedienne in a triple role as the mysterious spy Annabella, the Scottish country wife Margaret and the British heroine Pamela.
“I won season tickets to TNB when I graduated from high school in Saint John and remember sitting in the audience imagining the day I’d be on the Playhouse stage,” says Jones. “I’m delighted to have that dream come true while playing one of the funniest roles any actress could hope for.”
Gammie and Jones are joined by TNB newcomer Maritimer Rhys Bevan John and New Brunswick actor and TNB Young Company alumnus Alan Norman. As the clowns, Bevan John and Norman each take on literally dozens of roles throughout the performance.
The production will showcase designs from nationally-renowned TNB veteran and resident set and costume designer Patrick Clark, sound design by TNB resident sound designer and ECMA winner Michael Doherty and lighting design by Leigh Ann Vardy (The Bricklin, Treasure Island), a four-time Merritt Award winner.
“The fast-paced, farcical elements go beyond performance into every element of the production: sets, costumes, sound and lights,” says Marshall. “But our exceptional and amazing creative team has been more than up to the challenge creating numerous tricks and rarely attempted locations.”
On October 13, Theatre New Brunswick will also premiere The Smokey Mokes by Fredericton playwright Rick Merrill. The Opening Act takes audiences backstage at The Fredericton Playhouse in 1965 as Fredericton’s popular performing group wonders: is it time to take the make-up off?
Theatre New Brunswick would like to thank their production partner Jim Gilbert’s Wheels and Deals.
The 39 Steps runs from October 13-16 at The Fredericton Playhouse with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday –Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are available at The Fredericton Playhouse box office (506)458-8344, or online at tnb.nb.ca
