Review: THE 39 STEPS at Gulfshore Playhouse

THE 39 STEPS at Gulfshore Playhouse is a comedy filled with murder, mischief, and mayhem.

The show follows Richard Hannay as he falls into the middle of a spy scheme. William Connell plays Richard Hannay, and he was wonderful. His character really goes through a lot throughout the show, and he did a great job taking the audience through that. His comedic timing was also excellent. Jess Nahikian plays Annabella Schmidt, Pamela, and Margaret. These 3 characters all end up involved with Richard Hannay, and I thought Nahikian did a great job making them distinct and interesting. And it is worth noting I was incredibly impressed with her ability to hold her "death" pose near the beginning of the show.

Brian Owen plays Clown 1 and Andrew Sellon plays Clown 2. What this means is that they have the difficult task of playing many, many characters, making quick change after quick change. It was an immense effort, and I thought they were fantastic. They were both funny and did a great job making each of their many characters quite distinct.

The show was directed by Peter Amster, with scenic design by David Arsenault, costume design by Tracy Dorman, lighting design by Jimmy Lawlor, and sound design by Joel Abbott. Each creative aspect of the show was done very well.

This show pokes a lot of fun at theatre itself, which is always fun to see. In this production, things that may be considered "mistakes" in traditional productions are done intentionally, which adds humor. A lot of humor in the show wasn't really my cup of tea; it was a lot of slapstick and some jokes that don't particularly resonate with me. However, I think this cast did a great job with it regardless, and many audience members will love it. With 150 characters in the show (all played by only 4 actors), it is a major feat!

THE 39 STEPS is playing until at Gulfshore Playhouse! To learn more and get your tickets, click here: https://www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org/2021-2022-season/39-steps/.

Photo Credit: Matthew Schipper

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