39 steps

"39 Steps" is primarily known as the title of the iconic black-and-white film by Alfred Hitchcock from 1935, which the British Film Institute ranked as the fourth best British film of all time. However, the story of "39 Steps" predates the film, as it is based on the novel by John Buchan written in 1915.

Although the original story carries a serious atmosphere of a spy thriller, Patrick Barlow, who became famous with his play "The National Theatre of Brent's True History of the World" in the United Kingdom, gave it a new dimension through a theatrical adaptation. His version, which combines elements of Buchan and Hitchcock, premiered in 2005 in London. The play won the "Olivier" award for Best New Comedy in 2007 and two "Tony" awards in 2008. In London, it has been playing for years in the West End, while on Broadway it lasted for four years with over 1200 performances. The adaptation has been shown worldwide, including in cities like Hong Kong, Mexico City, Barcelona, and Paris.

• The plot of this play is quite intriguing: the main character tries to help a woman, a counterintelligence agent. After her murder, he must fight to protect himself while trying to uncover a network of foreign spies planning to acquire important state secrets.
• Barlow made a bold move by transforming the tense spy thriller into a comedic stage where only four actors bring to life all the characters from the novel and film. Through a parody of the political thriller, Barlow explores the archetypes of romance and patriotism of the 20th century in today's context, where four actors interpret as many as forty different characters, using a minimal number of props to create complex scenes.