The acclaimed comedy adaptation of the iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller returns to the West End stage for a strictly limited run playing through the middle of summer. Guillermo Nazara chats with one of its cast members, to learn all the fun facts about this rich and strange show, whose murderous magic is guaranteed to leave audiences spellbound.
How does it feel to be part of the West End return of such a big film and stage classic?
It’s particularly exciting to me, because I went to drama school at the time it was at the Criterion – which is the theatre where we did our showcase! I remember thinking how I wished I would be able to be in a theatre like that one day. In some way, it’s a show that was in my radar. So being on tour and then coming back to the West End feels like the perfect circle to me – especially for a show that had an original run of 10 years!
In the same that this represents a cycle to you, would you say the show has evolved in some manner throughout this time?
Originally it was an all-white cast, while both clowns were played by male performers. I think that, in that way, it’s evolved with the time – as they’ve diversified the cast. However, there’s an energy of change. Some of the original creatives have come onboard, to see what they can do to restore that element of freshness: what bits could be funnier and which ones are no longer that funny. It’s the same show, but it has a new vibe. As a company, they’ve allowed us to bring our own inputs. None of us had seen the show before, which is helpful in that regard, and to make our own versions of the characters.
Does the fact that you’re the first female performer to play one of the Clowns influence the role in any way?
It’s interesting. I thought it would make a larger difference. But actually, it makes sense. We haven’t had to change anything. All of my parts are male, while my colleague Eugene McCoy plays both men and women. I think it adds another dimension. Most of my characters are masculine and kind of domineering, while he plays the gentler females. So I think it adds an extra layer of humour. There are also a few moments when we have the opportunity to wink at the audience because I’m a woman – for example, breaking character and saying: “You can’t do that to me! I’m a woman!!!”. But I think we’re all surprised by how little it had to change. The whole of the point of the show is that we all play different personages, so from the start audiences need to suspend their disbelief – who we really are is the least of our worries.
Apart from jumping from one character to another so rapidly, does this performance pose any particular challenges to you?
Yes – I think I took the part because I was excited by the challenge. The first one is physical – it takes a lot of fitness to be able to perform these roles. I’ve done a lot of shows that require stamina (either vocally or emotionally), but in this one we are running all the time for a full hour and a half! We’ve also learned a lot of physical theatre, as well as creating shapes with your body. With some characters also, there’s bits where I have to make mental notes: “remember that this person is Scottish”, for example. We swap accents so many times, and there’s always that little voice in my head warning me not to pick the wrong one!
What’s the key to transition from character to character so smoothly?
That’s a great question! Both Eugene and I worked a lot with a vocal coach and the Movement Director. Most of it is in our bodies. We’ve created parts of it and postures that reminds us of who we are, so it’s easier to transition into them. But our vocal coach is brilliant, and he explained to us why somebody would speak from a particular place in their voice. I also did an exercise thinking of how masculine and confident each of my characters would be feel – and that’s been quite useful.
Has your performance evolved in any way?
Definitely. The characters have deepened and we have found new elements. I think that’s the beauty of doing it for so long. You just want to keep it fresh. You need to concentrate on a really profound level, find new things and keep the things you’ve already found. As a company, we all trust each other, so we’re able to make slightly different moves and choices whilst keeping the same production – and the other person is going to come with you. We’ve found a lot of truth into it. We came from a physical place, but now we’re all rooted in all the characters.
Do you have any funny bloopers you’d like to share?
Yes! During Easter, the stage manager did an Easter egg hunt for us at the theatre! Later that day, during the performance, when my colleague Eugene came on dancing and jumped up in the air – causing one of the eggs to fall of his coat! So he had to kick the egg offstage, and the whole audience didn’t know what was happening!
What would you think that Alfred Hitchcock would say if he came to see the show?
I like to think that he’d be very flattered. The beauty of this production if that it’s a parody, but it’s so true to the film and such a love letter. So I think he would really love it. There’s many moments in the film that felt so new back in the day, but now they seem very old-fashioned. There’s a shadow playing in the middle of the performance, which is based on this black and white scene where they were chased across the hills. At the time, that was quite revolutionary, but I think he’d be charmed how we try to reproduce it with puppets. So yes, I’d like to think that he’d be a fan!
With his silhouette reference included…
Exactly! You noticed!
If you would have to give me one reason to come see this show, which one would it be?
Because you just can’t not laugh. It’s just so much fun. It’s bright and lively. We are lacking so much in joy in some aspects of our lives right now that coming to the theatre to escape from it is such a right choice. It’s really funny, and that’s an important reason to come.
Read our review on The 39 Steps here!
The 39 Steps is currently on tour before its upcoming West End limited run. Tickets and dates for all venues are available on the following link.