The 39 Steps
Adapted by Patick Barlow, from the novel by John Buchan
Thursday 9th to Saturday 18th July 2026
Directed by Laura Sheppard
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John Buchan (1875–1940) was a Scottish writer, historian, and public servant whose career spanned literature, politics, and diplomacy. Born in Perth and raised in Fife and Glasgow, he developed an early love of books and scholarship. His academic talent took him first to the University of Glasgow and then to Oxford, where he began publishing fiction and essays while still a student.
Buchan became widely known for his adventure novels, most famously The Thirty‑Nine Steps, which introduced the character Richard Hannay and helped shape the modern thriller. Alongside his fiction, he produced respected historical studies and biographies, demonstrating a lifelong interest in the forces and personalities that shaped Britain and its empire. His writing combined pace and imagination with a deep sense of place and history.
Beyond literature, Buchan built a significant public career, serving in government roles during the First World War and later entering Parliament. In 1935 he was appointed Governor General of Canada, where he worked to strengthen cultural ties and promote national unity. He remained in that post until his death in 1940, leaving behind a legacy that bridged storytelling, scholarship, and public service.
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Besides his version of Lew Wallace’s Ben Hur, Patrick Barlow’s Olivier-nominated adaptation of A Christmas Carol has played off-Broadway and London’s West End while his 4-person adaptation of The 39 Steps has played in over forty countries worldwide, winning Olivier, Helpmann, Moliere and Tony Awards and making Patrick the most performed playwright in America for 2012/13. Most recently, his rewriting of John Milton’s Comus has played to critical acclaim at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
Patrick is also celebrated in the UK for his two-man theatre company National Theatre of Brent, whose comedy epics include Wagner’s Ring Cycle, The Charles and Diana Story, The Messiah, The Wonder of Sex, The Arts and How They Was Done, The Black Hole of Calcutta, The Life and Times of the Dalai Lama and Zulu! They have won two Sony Gold Awards, a Premier Ondas Award for Best European Comedy and the New York Festival Gold Award for Best Comedy.
Other screenwriting includes Van Gogh (Prix Futura Berlin Film Festival), Revolution!! (Best Comedy Jerusalem Film Festival) and the BAFTA-winning The Young Visiters. Publications include Shakespeare: The Truth! and The Complete History of the Whole World. Patrick has also appeared in Absolutely Fabulous, Shakespeare in Love, Notting Hill, Nanny McPhee and Bridget Jones’s Diary. He is currently writing theatre versions of The Hound of the Baskervilles and Dracula.
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In The 39 Steps, a man with a boring life meets a woman with a thick accent who says she’s a spy. When he takes her home, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on the man’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale! A riotous blend of virtuoso performances and wildly inventive stagecraft, The 39 Steps amounts to an unforgettable evening of pure pleasure!
The 39 Steps was first performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse on 17 June 2005. The original London production, by arrangement with Edward Snape for Firery Angel Limited, opened at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn on 10 August 2006 and transferred to the Criterion Theatre in the West End on 14 September 2006. The play premiered on Broadway at the American Airlines Theatre on 15 January 2008. Directed by Maria Aitken, the production featured Arnie Burton, Charles Edwards, Jennifer Ferrin and Cliff Saunders.
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This play will be staged at The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre (formerly Havant Arts Centre), East Street Havant - Bench Theatre's home since 1977.
| Hannay | Jack Sweet |
| Annabella/Pamela/Margaret | Katy Bailey |
| Clowns | David Penrose, Sarah Ash, Killian Wheeler, Callum West |
Production Team
| Director | Laura Sheppard |
| Producer | Paul Millington |
| Stage Manager | Jeff Bone |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Elly Willats |
| Lighting Design | Iain Banachowicz |
| Lighting Operator | Natalie Green |
| Sound Design | Jacquie Penrose |
| Sound Operator | Jacquie Penrose |
| Set Design | Kevin West, Callum West, Sarah Ash, Natalie Green & Caitlin Green |
| Set Painting | David Penrose |
| Handbill Design | Issy Arnett |
| Programme Editor | Derek Callam |
| Marketing | Tas Halford, Katy Bailey, Fiona Callingham & Caitlin Green |
| Photography | Caitlin Green |
| Front of House Manager | Ingrid Corrigan |
Director's Notes
When I first thought of directing The 39 Steps, I was attracted by the challenge of bringing such an iconic story to the stage. Patrick Barlow's adaptation takes Hitchcock's famous thriller and turns it into a fast-paced theatrical adventure, where imagination, ingenuity and comic timing are just as important as suspense.
One of the joys of this play is its sheer theatricality. With a handful of actors, a collection of props and a healthy dose of audience imagination, we travel from London to the Scottish Highlands, encounter spies, policemen, crofters and villains, and race through dozens of locations in pursuit of the truth.
Our production embraces the spirit of playful storytelling at the heart of the script. While the original tale is a classic thriller, this version celebrates the magic of live theatre, where a simple object can become a train, a moor, a bridge or an entire hotel, and where actors can transform into a whole cast of characters before your eyes.
I have been incredibly fortunate to work with a talented and enthusiastic company who have thrown themselves into the challenge with energy, creativity and a willingness to embrace the wonderfully ridiculous. I hope you enjoy watching the adventure as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to life.
Thank you for supporting Bench Theatre and live theatre in our community.
Laura Sheppard, Director
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