'Escapades of all kinds': Cape Cod actors deliver comedic take on Hitchcock's '39 Steps.'

Four multi-talented actors play a gaggle of high-octane roles in “The 39 Steps,” currently on a tear, whizzing across the stage at the Barnstable Comedy Club, through Jan. 21. The show, a “keeper” combination of hilarity, spy adventure and love story, follows the outline of the original 1935 Hitchcock film; if you’re familiar with that, you’ll already be humming the show’s signature tune and keeping your eyes peeled for every gem of stagecraft and multiple character changes that take place, literally, at the drop of a hat, right before your eyes.

Name of show:  “The 39 Steps,” adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and the classic film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Directed by Corinne Cameron, presented by Barnstable Comedy Club.

What it’s about: “What are the 39 Steps?” Hang in there and you’ll find out, in this fast-moving, clever and hilarious play set between the two World Wars, as Londoner Richard Hannay (Rob Minshall) pursues crucial spy secrets that are about to be passed to the enemy, in a wild pursuit across the Scottish Highlands. Hannay escapes a flock of sheep, meets a digit-challenged villain and becomes a literal prisoner of love in this witty comedy adventure. If you’ve seen the original Hitchcock movie, you’ll like it even more after laughing through this version, where serious intent is out the window and escapades of all kinds are the music of the day.

See it or not: This is a perfect night out for a winter’s evening ― a touch of Monty Python, and a dash of Dick Van Dyke’s flexibility and slapstick touch, as Minshall races his lanky frame across the stage or down the aisles. He’s joined by three other talented comedic actors: Samantha McMahon acts a trio of roles, from femme fatale to desperate country wife, to reluctant attachment to our hero. Filling out the cast (and how!), amazingly playing about two dozen additional roles, are a not-to-be missed comic duo played by Cape theater veteran Todd Gosselin (Man 1), along with a new face on the local stage, Mason Aksamit (Man 2). They’re wonderful chameleons, owning the stage whenever they appear in some fantastic guise and they power the comedic engine that keeps each scene fizzing.

Highlights:  If you’ll notice, the creative production team for this show is notably larger than the four-person cast of actors. It’s headed by director Corinne Cameron, costume/props genius Pat Farrell and stage manager Susan Lockberg. The clever stagecraft they set in motion effectively functions as another character, providing the audience with an eye-popping array of props, music cues (including a bunch of familiar Hitchcockian themes), lightning costume changes, and marvels like rolling doors, window frames designed for escape, multi-purpose steamer trunks, and an endless collection of hats and wigs that change a character in the blink of an eye.

Interesting fact: Minshall, who handles the difficult part of Richard Hannay with aplomb, is the husband of director Cameron. She must have run in three directions simultaneously, to bring off this difficult production, where everything depends on the integration of sound, action and choreography. Both are familiar to theater fans across the Cape, and it’s a pleasure to see them working together, helping the production run like clockwork.

Worth noting: Audience: Keep your eyes on Mr. Aksamit (Man 2), as he steals the show in a vaudeville scene where he plays the main attraction, Mr. Memory, but also all the opening acts as well. This guy’s a marvel.

If you go: “The 39 Steps”at the Barnstable Comedy Club, 3171 Main St., (Route 6A), Barnstable Village, through Jan. 21. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinees. Tickets: $25, $23 seniors and students. Call the box office: 508-362-6333, or visit barnstablecomedyclub.org

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Review: See Hitchcock's funny side at Cape Cod takeoff of '39 Steps.'