The 39 Steps at Mt Holyoke Summer Theater

The play is another adaptation of a mystery thriller that turns into a raucous comedy, the Second Show in MHC’s Summer Season

Last night we watched passengers step aboard the two‑level river cruiser Lady Bea for a 7 pm Connecticut River excursion, a pleasant postlude to our dinner at the Boathouse. Afterward, we made the short drive to Kirby Sports Center, where the MHC Summer Theater’s second production of the season was about to begin.

Richard Hannay (Keith Boylan), an ordinary Londoner, is pulled into a spy plot when a mysterious woman is murdered in his apartment, forcing him to flee to Scotland to clear his name and stop a secret organization called The 39 Steps. Along the way he’s chased by police and spies, meets a reluctant ally named Pamela, and ultimately exposes the espionage ring behind the conspiracy.

Boylan plays Hannay with the endurance of an Ironman athlete. He tears around the stage in a wool suit and vest, squeezing himself into tight spaces, throwing in bursts of physical comedy, and using sharp, exaggerated facial expressions to bring out the rubbery, over‑the‑top character Ludwig envisioned. He even joked on his Facebook page about the stamina he built during rehearsals for this relentlessly active role.

The stage was intentionally sparse—large rectangular blocks, ladders, and frames arranged so they could quickly transform into windows, doors, train compartments, or hotel rooms. This minimalism is central to Ken Ludwig’s comic reimagining of Hitchcock’s thriller. Ludwig’s adaptation, which is now famous worldwide, turns the serious 1935 film into a fast, frantic, Monty‑Python‑style chase, performed by just four actors who portray more than 100 characters through rapid‑fire costume changes, accent flips, and physical comedy.

They mix accents brilliantly, especially Abigail Ding, an MHC student who nailed all of her parts. Her equity counterpart, ‘clown #1’ Alexandra O’Halloran, also has great comedic timing in this rapid-fire show.

The cast at MHC leaned fully into that spirit. Hats flew on and off, accents shifted mid‑sentence, and Hannay launched into his exaggerated, legs-up jogs across the stage as the plot’s mayhem kicked in. The actors clearly relished the challenge of Ludwig’s format, which demands nonstop energy and precision. Choreography was a big assignment here.

The one drawback was clarity. At several points, lines were delivered in soft voices or whispered in a thick Scottish brogue. When you combine a difficult accent with low volume, it becomes tough to follow the twists of the plot—especially in a show that already moves at breakneck speed. This issue has been noted in other productions as well: with so many characters, accents, and rapid transitions, the thread of the story can blur if articulation slips.

Still, the performers worked hard, and the choreography of movement, props, and timing was impressive. The stage crew had their hands full managing constant scene changes, shifting the boxes and frames into hotel lobbies, train cars, and country houses with just enough detail to keep the audience oriented.

Ludwig’s adaptation thrives on invention, and this production embraced that fully. Even with occasional difficulty hearing the dialogue, the show delivered the playful chaos and theatrical cleverness that have made The 39 Steps a hit from Broadway to regional theaters.

The play’s use of sound was one of its strongest assets. Sound designer Kirk Longhofer delivered crisp, believable audio throughout—rattling train cars, the sharp November wind sweeping across Scotland, and a playful burst of ragtime jazz every time an imaginary door swung open. The sound cues kept the show’s rhythm brisk and helped maintain the comic momentum that Ken Ludwig’s show depends on.

There was one moment, though, when the pace sagged. The scene where Clown 2 introduces the politician drifted into a mumble and stretched on longer than it needed to. That slowdown carried into a few sections of the second act, where extended bits briefly stalled the otherwise joyful, manic energy that makes Ludwig’s adaptation so fun to watch.

The 39 Steps, Mount Holyoke College Summer Theater, final show July 25, 7:30 pm, Kendall Sports and Dance Complex at MHC. Tickets