The 39 Steps
Recently, I participated in an amateur dramatic production of The 39 Steps. You may not have known, as I never mentioned it... OK. I may have hinted at it, once or, twice, maybe... Pardon my ellipses...
L-R: Michael Saunders, Martin Daniel, Simon Hoffman, Me Me Me, Becky Morley, Hilary Warr.
In spite of not having trodden the boards since I was at school, some 35 years ago, I got involved and, before I realised, my ambition had seriously outweighed my talent and I found myself playing nine different parts - two of them elderly females - including 3 different accents, even playing two parts at once in one scene. I got to play an evil, maniacal master spy, had a death scene, performed a chase across the top of a moving train, and did a surprising amount of running about. Apparently, I didn't do too badly, in spite of cracking a rib 10 minutes into the final performance. Manfully, I staggered through that last show, the rest of the cast covering for me, marvellously. Thanks guys! You were wonderful to work with, all of you.
Big ups to Nicola Saunders, our director, The Congleton Players, Alan, Dave, Martin, Keith, Wendy, Di, IzzyNeve, and the backstage crew members, and all the people who came to see the show. I had a fantastic time.
Big ups to Nicola Saunders, our director, The Congleton Players, Alan, Dave, Martin, Keith, Wendy, Di, IzzyNeve, and the backstage crew members, and all the people who came to see the show. I had a fantastic time.
Photos by kind permission of Martin Lawton.
These are the only photos I have of me on stage. Thanks to Martin for allowing me to use them.
These are the only photos I have of me on stage. Thanks to Martin for allowing me to use them.
I was asked if I had considered doing any more acting. I hadn't actually thought about it. I love John Buchan, I love Hitchcock, and The 39 Steps is one of my all-time favourite stories. To be a part of a live re-telling of that tale was, for me, simply sublime. I know that, in the great scheme of things, it is but a small-town AmDram production but, I think we did a damn good job and put on a very creditable production. Certainly, everyone I met, who saw the show enjoyed themselves. That'll do me! As for the future, If the right script came along, I would consider it, if asked. I loved performing in front of an audience and i got to do something I hadn't done before. Life is for the living, as the song says.
A selection of photos from the final performance of The 39 Steps, on Saturday 8th February 2014, at Congleton Daneside Theatre. I took these from the wings when I wasn't on stage, myself.
Thanks to The Congleton Chronicle - Congleton Chronicle 6th February 2014
Thanks to The Congleton Chronicle - Congleton Chronicle 13th February 2014
|
The 39 Steps
Congleton Players - Tues February 4th – Sat February 8th - Daneside Theatre Down at the Daneside Theatre, this week, final rehearsals are taking place for the Congleton Players' latest production, The 39 Steps. John Buchan's story, first published in 1915 is recognised as being the first “spy” novel, with the hero risking life and limb for King and Country. Twenty years later Alfred Hitchcock took the basic story but, with a certain amount of artistic licence, turned it into a fast-moving action thriller, and a classic of the genre. The concept for the play is strikingly original. How would a group of amateurs with virtually no set, little budget, and just a few members, bring to the stage, a film with over a hundred characters in it? The answer is, of course, “with great difficulty”. They desperately try to remain faithful to the original film despite their limitations. Our hero battles his way through to save the country from the evil menace. Thus, we have an escape from a train, a fall from a bridge, numerous chases across moors, even an aeroplane crash. Making this a theatrical tour de force and rollicking good fun. Golly! The challenge for director, Nicola Saunders, has been to make the play look genuinely amateurish. “It's actually very difficult to make a performance look bad on purpose,” she said. “To do that, the cast has to be really good and, for them, it's a lot of hard work with quick costume changes and multiple characters. There is a lot of fast-paced action and it is one of the funniest plays you are ever likely to see.” The cast comprises Congleton Players stalwarts:
As the hero, Richard Hannay, might say The 39 Steps promises to be a jolly good night out and a wizzard wheeze. The play runs from Tuesday February 4th to Saturday February 8th, at Daneside Theatre. Further information and tickets for all performances may be purchased from the Tourist Information Centre, in the Town Hall, (01260 271095). |
Congleton Chronicle - 30th january 2014
|
Click on the logo to hear more from my
BearTown Radio live music sessions and interviews...
|
