“The 39 Steps encapsulates classic British silliness and humour and doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it also has so much energy. So yes it’s a classic caper, but it’s also loyal to Alfred Hitchcock‘s original spy thriller and absolutely brilliant from start to finish,” actor Tom Byrne tells us.
He’s talking about the Olivier and Tony Award-winning comedy which is coming to Oxford Playhouse next week, and currently touring before it returns to the West End, so catch it while you can!
‘working on The Crown with the likes of Olivia Colman was amazing – I learnt so much’
Following the incredible adventures of handsome hero Richard Hannay (Tom Byrne), complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache, he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and beautiful women.
Best known for his role in award-winning hit Netflix series The Crown, in which he played Prince Andrew (topical), Tom has been in much demand since starring the the global hit – Bridgerton, A Discovery of Witches, Black Mirror, BBC 3’s Dreaming Whilst Black and new film The Persian Version.
‘it’s got everything: spying, embezzlement, jumping out of trains, falling in love, running away from the police, the whole package’
But right now he’s all ours as The 39 Steps opens at Oxford Playhouse on Tuesday. “I can’t wait. I’ve visited Oxford a few times but being able to spend a week there will be amazing, especially as I was brought up in Cambridge,” he laughs.
So why is Tom enjoying starring in The 39 Steps so much? “Because it’s so fast-paced, witty and full of slapstick that it’s a real privilege to be at the centre of that, but it’s definitely all systems go,” he adds.
“And although there are four of us in the cast, the other three cover 138 parts between them, which is pretty incredible,” Tom laughs.
“Which means we are having a brilliant time, because it’s such a tight show with immaculate comic timing and at only 100 minutes, it absolutely flies by!”
It sounds like Tom’s life has been a bit of a whirlwind since leaving Bristol Old Vic as well. So was The Crown the highlight? “Of course it was amazing – working with the likes of Olivia Colman – I learnt so much, but being back on stage releases the same eight year old glee I experienced in my school play when I first got the acting bug,” he smiles.
So is that where his love of acting took off? “We lived outside Cambridge actually, and I didn’t grow up in an acting family so we didn’t go to the theatre much.
“It wasn’t until I went to school that I even knew drama school was a thing. But yes, being able to move between TV, film and the theatre is every actors dream,” he says.
As for going on to the West End, Tom can’t wait: “It’s so exciting, but to be honest connecting with an audience is what matters, whether that’s in Oxford or London, hearing the laughter and watching people enjoying it is what counts. It’s also about losing yourself in a story and being a vessel for that is enormously powerful. It’s like nothing else.
“And Patrick Barlow‘s adaption has got all the right nuts and bolts for a really great production, so we knew from the very start that the audience was enjoying it, because it’s got everything: spying, embezzlement, jumping out of trains, falling in love, running away from the police, the whole package.”
The 39 Steps is at OXFORD PLAYHOUSE from Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 June. Book here https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/the-39-steps
