MARY CONWAY revels in a powerful reminder that human lives are not defined by physical perfection
The 39 Steps
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds/Touring
4/5
FIRST staged 20 years ago, this touring adaptation by Patrick Barlow of John Buchan’s 39 Steps — by way of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 comic thriller — finds plenty to to parody in adventure hero Richard Hannay and his “very attractive pencil moustache.”
Having become embroiled in a WWI spy plot he’s chased across Scotland, encountering love interests and dastardly would-be murderers.
GEORGE FOGARTY is dazzled by a breathtakingly skillful puppet version of Shakespeare’s greatest love poem
PETER MASON applauds a stage version of Le Carre’s novel that questions what ordinary people have to gain from high-level governmental spying
JAN WOLF enjoys a British revival of the 1972 come of age farce/panto Pippin
GORDON PARSONS is blown away by a superb production of Rostand’s comedy of verbal panache and swordmanship


