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Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow

8 – 30 August 2025

In the Drama Theatre

Theatre

The 39 Steps is Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller meets Monty Python madness, now reimagined for a brand-new Australian tour. Directed by Damien Ryan and starring Lisa McCune, Ian Stenlake and The Umbilical Brothers (David Collins and Shane Dundas) it’s a fast, funny, unmissable night of theatre.

4 ACTORS, 130 CHARACTERS AND 100 MINUTES OF HILARITY

Mix Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller with a dash of Monty Python-style chaos, and you get The 39 Steps — a turbo-charged, Olivier and Tony Award-winning comedy smash. After thrilling more than 3 million fans across 39 countries — from London’s West End to Broadway — this international sensation is reimagined and coming to Australia.

Directed by acclaimed theatre-maker Damien Ryan and starring four of Australia’s most beloved talents: Lisa McCune (Blue Heelers, Sea Patrol, The King and I) Ian Stenlake (Sea Patrol, Stingers) and The Umbilical Brothers (David Collins and Shane Dundas), The 39 Steps is ready to make its way across Australia in an unmissable national tour this year.

Join the suave but unsuspecting Richard Hannay as he finds himself framed for murder and tangled in a web of spies, secrets, and seductive strangers. To clear his name, he must outrun the law, outwit international agents, and survive a string of increasingly absurd adventures.

In just 100 minutes of non-stop action, four fearless actors play 130 roles in a dazzling display of quick changes, inventive stagecraft, and high-energy hilarity. A gripping fast-paced comedy thriller that will leave you breathless with laughter.

Presented by Neil Gooding Productions and Woodward Productions

By Arrangement with Fiery Angel Limited
THE 39 STEPS
Adapted by Patrick Barlow
From the novel by John Buchan
From the movie by Alfred Hitchcock
Licensed by ITV Global Entertainment Limited
And an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon

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    Venue information

    Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.

    All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.

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