★★★★
Never has the cold war seen such frivolity. It’s 1959, America, the net is closing in post-war, spies lie around every corner and a mere suitcase could tell a thousand tales. Quite literally the case in North by Northwest, which springs onto the Liverpool’s Playhouse stage with a never-ending shimmy in its step. Raucous from start to finish with the unbelievable nous to not quite stray too far overboard, the spy-thriller is enrapturing, hilarious and a whole lot of fun.
Adapted for the stage by Emma Rice, Alfred Hitchcock’s famous 1959 film has never looked so comfortable in its playful whimsy. Richard Thornhill (Ewan Wardrop) is the hapless hero of the hour, a mildly baffled advertising executive caught up in a far more daring world than he could have ever imagined. He takes up the mantle of detective to follow the scent of dubious behaviour with the help of the Professor (Katy Owen), and along the way develops an appetite for heroics and a little scrap here and there. Narrating, partaking in and encouraging—if not demanding—audience participation in the performance, is the unstoppable Professor. The enigma that is Owen fills the entire room with unmatched energy in whichever of the plethora of roles she plays. She delights in her capers, and charms in equal measures through her intrigue, wit and mischief—and the occasional tantrum or flight of authority.
Between the cast of six, little time is wasted in covering ground. As the towering set of wooden panels decorated with glass bottles swirls like the inside of a cocktail bar after its finest dry martini, as do the cast as they melt from role to role. Fearless in its hyperbole, the sky is the limit for the extravagance of the collection of characters sculpted to perfection by each actor in their own right. From mothers who look suspiciously like the bad guys (Karl Queensborough compels as all), to Welsh train porters (more excellence from Owen) and drawling Americans, every accent and dialect is pitch perfect. Not to mention a sprinkling of meta-theatre and breaking the fourth wall—the perfect theatrical storm is cooked up onstage. Oh, and then comes the lip-syncing. It’s ‘50s hit songs, but with a little twist. A sort of shaken, not stirred, quality. Outrageously, it works.
Scenes are both punchy and droll. The action is always met with a quip and props only add to the furore. Happily joining in when required and thoroughly amused all the way through, the audience are wholeheartedly on board with every bit of jaunty choreography and every corny line. With impeccable comic timing and wonderfully exaggerated delivery, it is hard not to simply get lost in the performance and revel in every minute.
Wholly larger than life, North by Northwest is a delectable piece of theatre. It simmers in its satire and slapstick, and the pace doesn’t drop for a second. Between the scattering of musical numbers and occasional coordinated dance routine, the performance careens around the stage. It is a silly, joyous, rollicking ride that somehow even manages to touch on the profound. With unrivalled slick elegance, North by Northwest is the endearing buffoonery we all need right now. Possibly even more than once.
North by Northwest is being performed at the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre until 24 May.
Words by Hannah Goldswain
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