Navigating 139 characters in The 39 Steps

From salesmen to ‘heavies’ and even undergrowth in the Scottish highlands; four actors take on 139 roles in 100 fun-filled minutes in The 39 Steps.

The classic comedy follows Richard Hannay in a crime caper filled with murder, double-crossing secret agents, and romance. Throughout, the quartet fire through nearly 50 quick costume changes, and of course, hilarity ensues. We spoke with the theatrical chameleons about the fine art of multi-role performance, as the show makes a triumphant return to the West End.

“We have a brilliant head of wardrobe called Nicky,” starts Eugene McCoy, who plays Clown 1 (and others). “[They] help massively on most of the changes. I just focus on what I’m doing in the moment and don’t think about what is to come.”

McCoy is joined by Maddie Rice, the first female-identifying actor to take on the role of Clown 2. The cast also includes Safeena Ladha, who plays Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret and Tom Byrne, who plays Richard Hannay (“I really can’t complain about the mercifully few quick changes I have!”). Jacob Daniels and Hannah Parker serve as the understudies.

Talking about her changes, Ladha says, “[They] appear much slower to the audience, but with the time it takes to unpin a wig and get into the next one, along with changing clothes, it is speedy! My biggest or quickest change is from Pamela to Margaret. A complete change of clothes, wig, and shoes and then moving a big prop in about one minute.”

Making the cues can be particularly high-pressure, but she adds “The most important thing I’ve found is to stay calm, because I can actually move quicker if my mind is moving slower.”

Shows like the WhatsOnStage Award-winning Operation Mincemeat, and to a lesser degree, Hamilton; where friends become enemies by the second act, are fairly recent examples of successful multi-role shows. It can help audiences draw comparisons between characters and dig deeper into the plot, while also being economical and in some instances, chaotically funny.

Being a part of a challenging multi-role production means having to wear multiple hats, so to speak, but in literal terms, The 39 Steps wardrobe department features 26 hats, two headscarves and four wigs. These help create policemen, spies, and even sheriffs and hoteliers!

Meet some of the characters in our exclusive video:

As for getting into the mindset to switch between characters, McCoy advises “Go bold on it so you are clear of who you are, especially in a physical sense,” adding, “Again, don’t think of who you are playing next, think in the moment of exactly which person you are right now and commit to it.

“It helps to make every character really different from each other so you are never confused and mix them up. Each character will for me, have a strong identity.”

Ladha agrees that physicality is best, saying, “I have different walks and postures for each of my characters, which then puts me into the right frame of mind for each one.”

Rice offers, “I find if my body becomes the character in my posture, height, weight. Then I fall into the world pretty quickly and the voice and attitude come with the way I move. It’s very exciting to get to play so many people you wouldn’t normally get to.”

The same could be said for one-person shows. In the last year or so, we’ve seen award-winning solo takes on Uncle Vanya and The Picture of Dorian Gray from Andrew Scott and Sarah Snook respectively. The latter was aided with impressive video technology, while Scott shape-shifted with a turn of a shoulder and a touch of a necklace. Credit goes not only to the performers who make visions come alive; but to the directors, writers, designers who dreamed it, and the crew that make it happen night after night.

The 39 Steps was originally written as a novel by John Buchan back in 1915, before Alfred Hitchcock directed a film adaptation in 1935. Patrick Barlow has adapted that for the stage, from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. It won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Comedy in 2007.

This remount of the award-winning production, originally directed by Maria Aitken and adapted by Patrick Barlow, is directed by Nicola Samer, with the original creative team comprising designer Peter McKintosh, lighting designer Ian Scott, sound designer Mic Pool, and director of movement Toby Sedgwick. Casting is by Abby Galvin.

The 39 Steps is enjoying a West End return at the Trafalgar Theatre, with tickets on sale below.