THE 39 STEPS
The summer play for KATS will be our version of the classic The 39 Steps: A multi award-winning comedy where suspense, romance and thrills collide…
AUDITION DETAILS:
Tuesday 28 and Thursday 30 April, 7.30pm
Dodbrooke Church Hall
Everyone is welcome. It is only necessary to attend one audition session. If you’re cast in the play, you’ll need to either be or become a member of KATS.
The auditions will be a friendly informal workshop style with activities to encourage your versatility, potential to perform physical theatre and the interactions between you. The audition panel will be looking at your willingness to have a go and at your response to direction. You will not be required to learn any dialogue for the auditions.
2026 PLAY
The 39 Steps
6 actors. Multiple characters. Endless fun.
The 39 Steps is a high-energy comedy packed with quick changes, physical humour, accents and inventive theatrical storytelling. This production requires a cast with plenty of stamina and total commitment.
The 39 Steps was adapted by Patrick Barlow from the iconic 1935 Hitchcock film and based on the ground breaking spy novel by John Buchan. First performed in 2005, this play has been a global success ever since and is the winner of multiple Tony and Olivier awards.
The premise of the play is that a ridiculously small, but super-talented group of actors are presenting a stage version of the ENTIRE Hitchcock film, but with very limited resources. Using a step ladder and a collection of trunks and props, they must portray a cast of hundreds and create multiple locations, including a chase across a moving train roof and an onstage plane crash on the Scottish moors.
if you’d like to audition, be part of the fun in any way or have any questions, just contact our director…
Jill Brock: jillbrock1@gmail.com
07818 716436
PLEASE NOTE:
Please note you must be a member of KATS to perform in our productions. Membership is £50 per year.
Directed by Jill Brock
The action is set in London, Edinburgh and the highlands of Scotland. It is 1935.
John Hannay is a British ex-adventurer, now living a quiet life in London. To relieve his boredom, he decides to visit the music hall for some lighthearted entertainment. He is approached by a glamorous woman with a foreign accent who says she’s being followed. Hannay takes her back to his flat where she admits to being a spy. During the night, she is murdered.
Hannay becomes the chief suspect and goes on the run from the police. Whilst attempting to clear his name, his adventure takes him to the wilds of Scotland. Hannay must also avoid capture by “The 39 Steps” – the secret organisation who murdered the mysterious woman, and whose mission he must intercept in order to foil a national disaster.
Although this is a comedy, the plot is deadly serious – actors will be be playing the characters for authenticity, not simply for laughs. Themes of intrigue, romance, patriotism and loss are woven throughout the story and give the play real depth. It’s this combination of light and dark that makes The 39 Steps so compelling. To further enhance the cinematic quality of the play and evoke the period setting we will have an original music underscore, especially written by Ellie Brock.
Richard Hannah: Charming, confident, an ex-adventurer with comic flair and an ability to panic. Male. Playing age 25 – 50.
Annabella / Pamela / Margaret: Three very different women, played by the same actor, all sharp, bold, and central to the story. Great opportunities for contrast and character work. Female. Playing age 25 to 45.
The Clowns (2 Roles): Comic shape-shifters who drive the comedy. Policemen, villains, innkeepers, salesmen, charladies and more. Range of accents. Quick changes. Any gender. Playing age 18 to 80.
Live Foley and Shadow Puppeteers (2 roles): Integral to the production, onstage throughout, interacting with the cast and the audience. They provide the live foley (sound effects), operate the dummy foley desk and the shadow puppets. Requires keen focus and precision timing. No previous experience necessary.
AUDITION PACK:
If you would like to audition please contact Jill, for an Audition Pack. This gives full details about the production, including character descriptions, info about staging and an online AUDITION FORM.
REHEARSALS:
Begin on 23 June and continue on subsequent Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7.30.
VENUE:
Mostly at West Charleton Village Hall, only some will be at Dodbrooke. There will be 3 Sunday rehearsals, decided after casting. We may condense the rehearsal period by meeting 3 evenings a week instead of 2, but this will only happen if all cast agree. No pressure.
A rehearsal schedule for the whole period will be issued after auditions.
PRODUCTION TEAM:
In addition to the cast, KATS are looking for a team of people to help with set, props, costumes, and help out as dressers and backstage crew. No experience required.
REHEARSAL PROMPT :
Required throughout the rehearsal period – but not for performances. This is a key role within the production, working alongside the director and supporting the cast.
KATS
the theatre experience
about Us
KATS has been entertaining local audiences for over 100 years, with Trial by Jury as the first production in 1901.
All performers and crew are members of the Society, participating in the productions and enjoying plenty of social get togethers too.