The 39 Steps

This month my book club and I are reading the 1915 novel, The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. Since the melodrama adaptation of the book is playing at Piccadilly Circus, it only made sense to go see it all together.  

At the Criterion Theatre you go down several flights of stairs to get to the actual theatre, so we must have been pretty far below ground. The stage was pretty blank as part of the comedy of the show is watching the actors bring out their own scenery or act as the scenery themselves (like rivers, trees, and fences). 

The cast consists of only 4 actors who play 130 different characters. The play ends at Christmastime so snow came down over the audience during curtain call. 

As with just about every theatre I've been to in London, the actual building was really beautiful. This one had this amazing stained glass ceiling in the hallway. 

Another great success for me with London's theatre performances. I'm glad I went to see this because I enjoyed the play much more than I enjoyed the book.