The 39 Steps

Patrick Barlow’s stage adaptation of “The 39 Steps” is a cheeky retelling, much along the lines of Monty Python, of Alfred Hitchcock’s signature 1935 film and the John Buchan novel on which it’s based. Frothy humor aside, its hallmark is the concept of using a cast of four to portray the story’s several dozen characters.

Andrew Borba has the focal role of protagonist Richard Hannay, the innocent man ensnared in a web of intrigue. Dana Green portrays Pamela, the icy blond who is Hannay’s adversarial romantic partner, sexy German spy Annabella Schmidt, and Scottish waif Margaret. That leaves all remaining roles to Matt Walker and David McBean, who are simply billed as Clown #1 and Clown #2. The duo’s proficiency isn’t just a clever stunt; it’s integral to the irreverent tone fostered by Barlow’s script. Under Jessica Kubzansky’s direction, the show’s potential for both comedy and suspense is fully realized.

Non-Hitchcock elements include the pronounced sexual magnetism between Hannay and all of Green’s characters, metatheatrical acknowledgement by the dramatis personae that they’re part of a performance, and unsubtle references by title to a half-dozen later (and more famous) Hitchcock films. The show’s audacity and panache generate laughs while inviting our admiration.

In contrast with Robert Donat’s congeniality, Borba is a cool, dashing Hannay, which allows him to exploit the role’s comic possibilities. Green’s three femmes are wholly dissimilar. Her Annabella is both sexy Mata Hari and Madeline Kahn–like parody. She makes Margaret touchingly naive and steers Pamela toward frosty, acerbic, and obstinate.

Walker and McBean essay some 15 roles apiece but it feels like many more thanks to their quick-change artistry, which often allows them to play multiple characters per scene. The pair’s delivery, body language, and skill with accents are balanced by Borba and Green’s ability to engender our empathy and augmented by Peter McKintosh’s handsome period costumes and ingenious modular set pieces.

Presented by La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. Jan. 21–Feb. 12. Wed. and Thu., 7:30 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 8 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., 2 p.m. (714) 994-6310, (562) 944-9801, or www.lamiradatheatre.com. Casting by Julia Flores.