Context Costume Sound

"The 39 Steps" 22nd of April, Criterion Theatre London,produced by Gaumont British.-adapted for stage by Patrick Barlow

set in 1935 - Europe is on the brink of war originally a book by John Buchan later adapted into a film

directed by Alfred Hitchcock cast of four physical theatre + many Brechtian techniques to turn a famous

spy story into a joke. Apart from the actor who played Hany all other actors

constantly change roles Director: Maria Aitken Designers: Peter McKintosh Lighting: Ian Scott Sound: Mic

Pool Mvt Director: Toby Sedgwick Costume: Mary Charlton

Hany - Ben Righton Pamela/Annabelle Schmdit/Margaret - Ellie Beaven Man1 (Fat) - Nick Holder Man2 (small) - Greg Haiste

Pre-Set Curtain open. Quite a plain stage. Plain Brick wall with two

step ladders + a red fire bucket on it. A door with an exit sign above it towards stage left. Ropes hanging down. THE BACK WALL OF THE THEATRE. Makes you believe you are in a 1930s theatre. Not supposed to look like a professional show. No attempt to convince the audience that its naturalistic What are they going to fill in that space? Show is very rushed + jumbled - reflective of Hanys life + panic + audience are caught up in that.

Small + intimate theatre. Not intimidating or scary. Decor is of its time Gives the show an authentic feel. Faded

victorian. Looks like old 1930s theatre. 30s dance hall music played continuously, in keeping with the

time period. This music is echoed later in the play. This music also sets the tone + mood for the show- light hearted + frivolous

Proscenium Arch Stage Quite bright lighting. Welcoming Announcer is done in period. Received pronunciation

Mechanical communication devices Makes us laugh from the word go. Mobiles didnt exist then.

The mise en scene of the entire show

Very bare + essential for quick changes while on stage - comic feel they changed on the stage in front of the

audience Different characters played by putting so a hat, coat or a prop. A certain tackyness + home made feel to it to add to the

comedy. Naturalistic costumes to communicate character v quickly.

Symbolic use of costumes no time for BUp (Milkman, Spies) Period Accurate. Hats used alot. Audience suspend their

disbelief + accept symbolic costume change. (Train) Use of layers. Bad spies + hotel couple. Adds to the humour.

Allows pace/tension to be kept high. Womans Costume:

ASmit Schmidt - Femme fatale. Dark skirt + jacket, little dark hat with tiny veil. Sexy spy. Cigarette holder. Cliched represntation of film noir femme fatale she represents. Costume gave a sense that she had travelled. Hints of oriental look.

Mgret (Scottish wife) - Frumpy, Shapeless smock + wellington boots, hair in plaits. Less attractive, undervalued by her husb+. Costume contrasts with comments about exciting nightlife in Glassgow. Pretty but kept under wraps by her husb+. NOt flattering

Pam - Respectable, blue + white with little round hat. Reflects sensible nature of her character. Still figure hugging reflect her attractiveness. Stockings underneath, sexy. hotel room scene.

Costumes are symbolic of the three types of women. Hanys Costume - him + his costume only constant in the

show. Light brown colour Reflects his character. Not baddie but on the run. Well made - Harris tweed shows wealth + is made in scotl+. He worked abroad. He links the show together.

Costume allowed huge amounts of funny multirole to take place adds to humour and pace still fast.

Naturalistic adds humour. Wearing the wrong hat Adds to the improvised

feel.

Used to comical effect. Underscoring for critical events. Helped set the tone of a

scene. Lush, swelling, string based music + Lots of nice, major

harmonies as underscoring for Pam + Hany. (the cut off when she slaps him reflects what is happening in her mind - She likes him right from the off, but she cant be seen with a murderer)

Spy music during lampost scene. Non diegetic is an aural gag. When people kiss on screen

you get the same type of music. Same with spy scene. 1930s swing b+ style. Heavy use of clarinet. Along with other

aspects, really help to take the audience back in time. Often had an ambiguous tonality - Could represent happiness

or despair. Diegetic + non-diegetic. There to add an extra dimension.

Show us things are present without having to have them onstage.

Incredibly well timed. Sometimes the actors made the noises. Windows on train. Announcer - both diegetic + non-diegetic. Hany pleased with

comment about moustache. Voiceover to vocalise a flashback in Hanys mind when he

goes to answer phone ring after ASmit death. An extract from saturn is played in the police car scene with

pam. Dissonant tendencies show that Hany is lost, far away from where he should be.

Hany whistles swing music - same music is also used as Mr Memorys introductory music, the party at the professors house + during the curtain calls. running theme throughout the play + audience used to the sort of melodies heard during period drawing them back in time. Sense of closure bows

Man 2 (cleaner) scream - psycho. AH reference Wind - WInd is mimed so SFX are crucial to believability Gunshots - out of the blue. Startles audience Train Train doors opening and closing (made by the actors) Car Party noises in the professors house Applause for the Mr Memory Show Diegetic used to SUPPORT the acting.

Lighting Set Acting

Shadow puppet display - Silly - Links to the idea that is improvised - Allows them to do things that you wouldnt be able to do on stage. Loch ness monster Looks cheap.

Shades of pink + purple for love scenes Strobe light at the beginning hints toward the earlier Black +

white film version. As if watching an old film Flickering light on train Rosey glow in hotel. Contrasting to darker lights in the darker

moments Blackouts werent for set change - Most of them were for

effect. (Torches - he is on the run). Dark in the farmers house - Cold dark. Symbolic of Mgrets

depression. She gave up the Bright lights of Glasgow to live with old man. Deliberately Blique. Reminiscent of him swinging across the rail bridge. Contrasting with warmth of hotel + professors house. Professor is baddie. Lighting makes you think its safe but he is not.

Lights go red like blood splatter during the shadow scene. Unexpected. Only use of colour. startling. Colour is otherwise used quite subtly.

Quite subtle or silly. Lights dim for outdoor light - show he is looking outside. Blue light used when Pam meets Hany for the 1st time. (Train)

Seeing things in colour 1st time - instantly in love, she is in denial.

Warmer colours when Mararet talks about glasgow. Drops back down to dim when old man walks back in. Same shade used in profs house. Shade projected for party is more clinical.. Foreshadows.

Lights hanging down above the train. Adds to the mime going on. Supports actors.

Special effects

Smoke + fog Funny look how quickly the fog is coming down Takes ages. Also used when Hany is hanging

smoke allows scene change. Shadow puppets; Dancing girls MrMemory 2. Party at profs

house. Aeroplane chase sequence turns into king kong. Chase with lochness monster. We suspend our disbelief to allow this to happen.

Snow machine at the end. Happy times, Its christmas. Snowing. Happy dayz init.

Hitchcock references add to the humour. North by northwest. Dummy used- tacky. improvised feel.

Very flexible, non naturalistic set. On wheels for very quick scene changes. No long pauses or delays for scene changes which would allow the energy + pace to drop. Looks improvised. Adds to rushed, improvised feel

Bridge made of ladders. Train made of packing cases - counter at hotel. Christmas tree in fire bucket. Every piece of set was free st

+ing. Scene changes where often done during a scene to add

comedy Door being moved + stepped through by actors to portray

getting deeper into a house. Clever use of proxemics here. Like he is getting more + more drawn into the deciet + spies. Illusion of size and space. Maze - gets lost.

Pieces of furniture were just chucked on when required by actors

Pieces of set were often moved non naturalistically - Stepping through a window. Ran off with the window Hany was stuck.

quick to the car what car then the actors build the car. Lot of relying on things the actors said to convey what is

happening in the scene TRAIN SEQUENCE

Int and ext are the same space. Physical perf and mime used to create difference. Announcements of place names V rapid changes.

Boxes either side of the stage. so you can see them watch the show. (Built 1874)

Lights at the side of stage to represent London palladium Actors changed the set - adds to the pace+kept show fast.

No long pauses Speed reflects the frantic pace of the plot. Hany only has days to foil evil plot.

Boxes allowed different lvls and dynamic action - Hany climbs down.

Movable window in scottish house. Picture frame. Funny. Very quick definition of locations space. window in the middle of nowhere like the house. Climbing out is a visual gag.

Car built rapidly on stage - out of character moment. Man 2 also collects the piece used to build car after Hany + pam escape. Non Nat.

Multi-role- Man 1,2 to create their characters-

Physical performance- gesture, posture, facial expression and movement- focus on speed of movement, weight of movement etc to communicate character.

Vocal performance- accent, tone, pitch, pace, volume man 1- Scottish husband in the hotel, underwear salesman,

milk man, policeman, fake/evil policeman, Mr Memorys manager, evil professor, Chief Inspector, guy who introduced the speech of Scottish guy no one could hear, various newspaper sellers and other minor characters.

man 2- Scottish hotel wife, the farmer, Mr Memory, Professors wife, underwear salesman, policeman, bad/evil policeman, man who gave the speech no one could understand, (Hany calls him Mr McCrocodile), various obstacle Hany and Pam have to climb over.

played clichs and stereotypes but this allowed them, alongside costume, to establish characters very quickly.

Girl played A, M and P. Anabella Schmidt- a clichd femme fatale- seductive

movements, outrageously bad German accent (done on purpose for comedy), lots of physical contact with Hany, very flirty.

Margaret- good Scottish accent, quite a naturalistic performance- especially when she is talking about the Glasgow nightlife she has given up. movements more urgent and desperate as she begs Hany to tell her about London + remind her of the life she lost. very poignant moment so played straight + not for laughs.

Pamela- very stylised on train esp. to highlight romantic attractiveness. Combined with the romantic movement makes this very funny. sets up slap. gestus almost as she holds these stylised positions. In other scenes more naturalistic. good scene in hotel and she is taking off her stockings-excellent use of pause to communicate the awkwardness.

Hany - the only actor not to multi-role. sense of consistency for the audience. Character is charming and confident so movements are assured and confident, very defined and strong. received pronunciation with an upper class accent reinforcing his upper class credentials, ties in with the 30s style adventure serial feel to the play.

desperate in during the train sequence when he escapes. He is a prime example of the juxtaposition between serious and

silly. He is the straight man doing silly stuff (wiggling out of the chair after Asmit dies.)