Straight off the West End in London, this production features 4 actors playing about 150 parts! Charles Edwards aptly plays the handsome and debonair Richard Hannay - the main character in the show. He gets caught up with 3 women - all played aptly by Jennifer Frrin (Annabella Schmidt, Pamela and Margaret). The other 148 characters he encounters are all played by the multi-talented, funny-as-hell duo of Cliff Saunders and Arnie Burton.
Aside from the bookends of the play, which feature Richard Hanney telling us a story from his leather chair in his living room, the entire script is straight from the movie. With bare bones sets and low tech effects they manage to take you on a chase across England by train, car, boat and even plane. The parody adapted by Patrick Barlow, fits in references both visual and spoken to many (if not all) of Hitchcock's other works - including North by Northwest and The Birds.
Dare I say, that Hitchcock himself was most likely slipped in as one of the dark shadowy figures too. Now that's something only a Hitchcock aficionado would understand, but this show holds plenty for both the "in the know" Hitchcock fans as well as those not so familiar. Not being one myself, I relied on hearing things for the first time and still laughing plenty.
Dare I say, that Hitchcock himself was most likely slipped in as one of the dark shadowy figures too. Now that's something only a Hitchcock aficionado would understand, but this show holds plenty for both the "in the know" Hitchcock fans as well as those not so familiar. Not being one myself, I relied on hearing things for the first time and still laughing plenty.
So if you're bored at home, tired of the news du jour - wars, elections (that's from the show, folks) - sneak over to the American Airlines Theater and catch a classic Hitchcock reincarnated on stage. Well worth the journey (gun shots not included).