WOS Photos: 39 Steps Up to Win Comedy Prize

The 39 Steps picked up this year’s Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best New Comedy. Patrick Barlow’s comic stage adaptation of John Buchan’s whodunit, which is running at the Criterion Theatre following a sell-out season at north London’s Tricycle Theatre last summer, sees suave London bachelor Richard Hannay on the run in Scotland after being framed for murder.

The 39 Steps was memorably filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935. In the stage version, four actors – Charles Edwards, Rupert Degas, Simon Gregor and Rachel Pickup – play “150 roles” between them and recreate all of the story’s thrills and spills, including the chase on the Flying Scotsman and the escape on the Forth Bridge.

What’s on Stage Magazine editor Roger Foss took to the stage after a matinee performance to present the company with their award.

WHAT THE WRITER SAID:

“Hurrah! I’m so delighted and happy to win this. The 39 Steps was a fantastic group effort. I was very lucky to be asked to do it. Thanks to everyone who voted for us.” – Patrick Barlow

WHAT THE PRODUCER SAID:

“I doubt that I shall ever work with such a hard-working cast and company as this one for The 39 Steps. We did have a slightly awkward moment in the early days when Patrick Barlow discovered that Hitchcock had spent six weeks in a boat on the Thames with his writer to get the screenplay together, eating smoked salmon and drinking champagne. That’s the way to write, thought Patrick.” – Edward Snape, producer.

TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS & NOMINEES, VOTING PERCENTAGES, ALL ACCEPTANCE
SPEECHES & MORE, VISIT OUR THEATREGOERS’ CHOICE AWARDS MICROSITE.

TO SCROLL THROUGH THE 39 STEPS AWARD PHOTOS,
JUST CLICK ON THE “NEXT >” LINKS BELOW THE FOLLOWING FRAME.

TO VIEW THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS & NOMINEES, VOTING PERCENTAGES, ALL ACCEPTANCE
SPEECHES & MORE, VISIT OUR THEATREGOERS’ CHOICE AWARDS MICROSITE.