The 39 Steps
at Greater Fort Erie Secondary School
Reviewed on April 1, 2017
Name | School | Publication/Broadcasts |
Owen Jeffries | Eden High School | The St.Catharines Standard |
Bethany Poltl | Saint Paul Catholic High School | The St.Catharines Standard |
Noah Nickel | Eden High School | The St.Catharines Standard |
Owen Jeffries
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to The St.Catharines Standard
Enter the world of 1930s European espionage. Tensions have never been higher, and nations guard their secrets with almost as much care as taken by those trying to steal them. While Fort Erie Secondary School's dramatic production of The 39 Steps is set in this grim, macabre atmosphere, the cast and crew of the play achieved a remarkable feat: they managed to make the dark world of spies hilariously funny.
The story takes place entirely in the United Kingdom during the 1930s. Richard Hannay (Kyle Kraus), a very bored Englishman, agrees to help a spy named Annabella (Gina Rubin) recover stolen air defense plans from a mysterious spy network, The 39 Steps. Richard is thrust into a boisterously crazy romp around England and Scotland, a journey in which his sunken spirits are revived and he has a chance to find love.
It was first and foremost the acting duo of Erik Timbers and Matthew Fyke that made the play such a humorous experience. Staying true to Patrick Barlow's 2005 version of the play, the two comic actors were each required to play more than a dozen separate roles. Both actors used their immense acting and considerable improvisation skills to pull off each role with dynamism and flair.
The coordination between the audio and visual special effects in the play was stunning. The 39 Steps Special Effects Crew had to coordinate 40 visual and 50 different sound effects with the actors onstage, a daunting task that the crew completed admirably. One task required the team to project and cut out lively music and lighting as a character opened and closed a door that led to a rambunctious party. Clever effects like this advanced the play's humor immensely.
The special effects crew also used puppets with great success. In order to depict a lengthy chase scene, the stage crew spread a large bed sheet across the stage, facing the audience. A light was shone onto the sheet, and suddenly silhouette puppets in miniature shapes of airplanes and people sprang to life, adding a whole new theatrical dimension to the play and causing the audience to laugh out loud at this bold move.
Fort Erie not only created beautiful props for its production, but the school decided to take a minimalist approach to The 39 Steps and to use ordinary items to create extraordinary scenes. To simulate a train journeying through the rough English countryside, during one scene actors sat on large trunks arranged in rows like seating on a train, while smoke machines and flickering stage lights created the atmosphere of being around a locomotive. The audience was instantly transported from the theatre to inside a bustling train station.
Fort Erie Secondary should be proud that their final school production at the current location put a smile on the face of everyone in the audience, and did justice to their school's rich dramatic heritage.
Bethany Poltl
Saint Paul Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to The St.Catharines Standard
Brilliance Shines in Fort Erie's "The 39 Steps."
In a high-end flat in London, Richard Hannay (Kyle Kraus) sits in his armchair addressing the audience with comedic grandeur. In mere moments, the audience is left laughing, as he explains the predicament of his awfully British, awfully fruitless existence. Fort Erie Secondary School's "The 39 Steps" brought this slapstick parody to life in a spectacular display of talent that had the audience in stitches.
Written by Patrick Barlow in 2005, the theatre adaption of "The 39 Steps" is based on the Alfred Hitchcock film and John Buchan's 1915 novel of the same name. The play tells of the life of Richard Hannay as he gets accidentally drawn into the world of espionage while trying to clear his name of murder and apprehend a villain trying to steal valuable information from Great Britain. This dashing hero is running for his life across the Scottish countryside, while being pursued by a pair of secret agents. Utterly amazing is this F.E.S.S. four person cast who manage to create a multitude of memorable characters, seamlessly morphing personality traits and accents- all the while engaging the audience.
Richard Hannay (Kyle Kraus) was definitely suited to be the leading man as his portrayal of the six-foot-tall, blue-eyed, wavy-haired winking hero was captivating. His ability to create moments of hilarity and his consistent gesturing allowed the audience to feel his angst as he was being chased for a murder he did not commit. And yet Kraus also managed to keep the comedy flowing with his expressive faces and comfort level with the other characters and the audience.
Gina Rubin worked her magic as the German agent, Annabella, the prim and proper Pamela, and finally, the homely Margaret. Her accent switches, her body language, and her attitudes seamlessly changed for each character making it hard to believe the same actress was playing all three female roles.
Stealing the show was the comedic genius of the two clown ensemble, Erik Timbers and Matthew Fyke. These two young actors played a plethora of characters adding energy and an overall tone of hilarity to the production. Each maintained his role throughout each character change with portrayals ranging from a pair of reckless secret agents to a vengeful German professor, and even to a couple of old men. Their on-stage chemistry was just as impressive.
Creativity in design, set, costuming, lighting and sound wholly supported this fantastic cast. The movement of the props and their various ingenious uses allowed the audience to envision each setting beyond the stage. The lighting and sound were perfectly cued thereby establishing many moments of awe and laughter. The puppetry sequence designed and directed by Charlotte Hawley was exceptionally entertaining. Throughout the show, the audience was applauding the originality of this production.
A standing ovation is certainly warranted for the actors and the student production team who created this masterpiece which could rival professionals. They are an impressive group of students who clearly have a passion for great entertainment. We're all looking forward to what they create next!
Noah Nickel
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to The St.Catharines Standard
To say that "The 39 Steps"--a novel-turned movie-turned play--has a unique past is certainly an understatement. Likewise, simply to call Fort Erie Secondary School's production of "The 39 Steps" a gut busting good time would be too.
The story follows Richard Hannay, an "Everyman" visiting London, England from Canada, who, while at a stage show, runs into a woman named Anabella, who he later finds out to be a secret agent looking for refuge. He agrees to house her for the night, but he soon finds out that she was being followed. After finding her dead in the middle of the night, Hannay ends up with more than he bargained for, and he gets caught in a race for his life.
All the work by the production team was, in a word, commendable. Given the play's breakneck pacing, the production team was literally pushed to levels beyond their years in order to keep up, though they were certainly up to the task.
With 40 unique sound effects and 50 sound cues, Graham Reid has to be recognized for his hard work as sound designer. His work complemented the whirlwind nature of the play brilliantly.
Much like the sound design, the lighting was equally as complex and certainly demanded a type of focus to detail and agility that Matthew Fyke and Nicholas Gauthier brought through seemingly with ease.
One particular scene that stood out as a defining moment was the puppet sequence, where over a dozen puppets, designed and directed by Charlotte Hawley, told a part of the story in a unique and captivating way that I haven't seen in a high school production before.
The costumes as well, which were scavenged here and there by Hannah Walpole and Taylor Doyle, all had a professional quality that ultimately enhanced the 1930s time period and heightened the believability of the actors' performances.
Speaking of the actors, they truly were electric and a joy for the audience. Whether it was the straight-laced, more subtle performances of Kyle Kraus and Gina Rubin, or the broader, and more highly comedic performances of Erik Timbers and Matthew Fyke, who collectively played several dozen characters, all with their unique quirks, humourous mannerisms, each portrayal suited the various circumstances within the story. Their chemistry and performance as a group evoked the stylings of zany sketch comedy like that of "The Carol Burnett Show" or "The Muppets", and it left the audience gasping for air between all the humourous moments.
Overall, the production was remarkable. Despite a few minor hiccups, everything went off without a hitch all because of the dedicated team who was behind it. Whether it was the unpredictability and electric chemistry of the cast, the complicated sound and lighting cues, or even the combined efforts to present unique sequences like the puppetry segment or the long, complex "moving" train scene, everyone gave it their all, and seemed to be having fun while they did it. It certainly was a delightful take on a unique story.