The 39 Steps - The Noise11 Review

The 39 Steps isn’t just one of the funniest plays you’ll ever see, it’s one of the cleverest. Four actors-David Collins and Shane Dundas (The Umbilical Brothers), Lisa McCune, and Ian Stenlake-play dozens of characters, often switching identities quite literally at the drop of a hat.

The brilliance lies in the timing. Collins and Dundas have been performing together for nearly 40 years, refining their craft of mime, pantomime, and slapstick into a razor-sharp act. Their chemistry is effortless, their synchronization uncanny. Compared to international productions, this Australian version is faster, sharper, and funnier-thanks largely to their dynamic. Pair them with McCune and Stenlake, both serious actors thrown into comic roles, and the contrast makes the whole thing click.

The story traces back to John Buchan’s 1915 adventure novel, famously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935, with three remakes to follow. This staging tips its hat directly to Hitchcock. Look closely and you might even spot his silhouette making a cheeky cameo. References to North by Northwest, The Birds, and other classics are scattered throughout, while the set and costumes (designed by James Browne) lean into a “black and white” aesthetic that mirrors Hitchcock’s world.

THE 39 STEPS (c) Cameron Grant

Simon Corble and Bobby Dimon first adapted the story for stage in 1996, with Patrick Barlow reworking it into its current form in 2005. Here, Ian Stenlake plays Richard Hannay, the accidental hero who crosses paths with a mysterious spy (McCune). When she winds up dead in his apartment, Hannay is accused of murder and must flee across the country, pursued by assassins-played with riotous flair by Collins and Dundas. Along the way, the show even sneaks in a sly nod to The Fugitive’s one-armed man.

Director Damien Ryan keeps the pace relentless, which works beautifully for the audience-but makes you pity any understudy asked to step in.
This production fires on all cylinders. McCune and Stenlake bring just the right balance to hold their own against the anarchic energy of Collins and Dundas, whose blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gags pack the show with constant surprises.

The 39 Steps plays at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne until 4 October, before heading to Brisbane’s QPAC Playhouse from 7-19 October, 2025.

Gets tickets to the Melbourne and Brisbane shows here