The 39 Steps, Nuffield, Southampton

AFTER ten years in the West End, a stint on Broadway and now a national tour, this witty play's journey to Southampton has been nearly as long and involved as that of our terribly British hero Richard Hannay when he stumbles across an international spy conspiracy during a night out at the theatre.

The tongue in cheek adaptation by Patrick Barlow, based on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 movie and John Buchan's 1914 spy thriller, gets plenty of mileage out of the ludicrous notion that it's possible to stage his epic journey from London to the Scottish Highlands - via The Palladium, prison and a rather dodgy guest house - with just four actors and a basic set.

Some of the best gags are aboard the various modes of tinpot transport used, everything from train to police car, but there's plenty of material to choose from as the awesome foursome take on 130 characters in 100 minutes.

Richard Ede has a wonderful stiff upper lipped panache as Hannay, the former public schoolboy who spends all day twiddling with his pencil moustache until the glamorous spy he befriends is murdered in his London apartment.

Olivia Greene is a delight as the three women in his life, Pamela, Annabella and Margaret. But she does not play all the female roles.

The host of other characters, everything from music hall compere to underwear salesman, mad professor to chirpy paperboy plus sundry policemen, heavies and hoteliers is played with extraordinary dexterity by Andrew Hodges and Rob Witcomb.

A packed audience loved watching two stories unfold at once. The journey across Britain to reveal the truth does manage to survive the irreverent treatment and the non-stop succession of gags brings the story of four actors earnestly trying to tell the tale to life.

This is one fast and frantic adventure.

LORELEI REDDIN

The 39 Steps runs until Saturday

Tickets: 023 8067 1771 or visit nuffieldtheatre.co.uk