"It's only supposed to be a cast of FOUR!!!"

I have just returned from what can only be described as a triumphant theatrical event.

The National Tour of "The 39 Steps" has been on all week at the Theatre Royal, Bath - unbeknownst to me. Joy was coming down and suggested we meet up and maybe go to the theatre.

This morning I actually had time to look at what was on and I saw said show. Now, I have to admit that my intial reaction was, well, less than 'woohoo' but I had a look at the more info and discovered that it had won numerous Tony's.....yup....and had rave reviews....uh huh........and...and... David Michaels is in it..... and...and..

....wait a minute, did I say David Michaels?...The same David Michaels who played yet another Heartbeat Dr that got killed off? He of the amazing eyes, slick haircut and devilish charm who managed to win back Maggie, the love of his life, to the background music of 'Nights in Whte Satin', a roaring fire and 2 glasses of red wine (yes, I admit, I did watch that episodes a couple...well maybe 20... times)

this is a must I thought.

Now, going to the theatre to see a show just because one of my favourite actors is in it is not something I do (well, if you'll excuse the time I managed to get half a day off school and persuade the Theatre Studies teacher to take me - a Y11- and his group of Y13 students to see the pre-show talk for As You Like It at the RSC because Niamh Cusack was in it) mainly because, with my luck, said actor will probably be ill and the understudy will be in - Nothing against understudies at all, having follow-spotted through the 'Nigel Harman will not be in this evenings performance' of Guys and Dolls 2007.

However I like the film and it it did appeal - plus I haven't seen him in anything for a while so I booked the tickets.

Well, it was AMAZING! There were only 4 in the cast - apart from an arm with a gun at one point and, if you were keeping track of the many and crazy scene changes, during the changes in location. They all worked incredibly hard and looked like they had a great time doing it. The audience certainly enjoyed and appreciated it.

Everything was so slick and every wide open door of humour opportunity was thoroughly barrelled through. A shadow puppet section, the corridor of many doors, a chase on top of a train, a minature railway, the Acorn Antiques phone, the 'magically appearing' lampost, as many Hitchcock film titles as they could get away with, the - quite frankly - freaky dancers at the German party, a plethera of usefully moveable windows, and too many accents to count, kept the pace going brilliantly! If this show comes ANYWHERE near you - go and see it!!!! It's on in the West End and on Broadway at the mo (apparently) so go...now......I mean it......

On another point it has given me lots of ideas.....haha... a chance to get my own back on Ben and Kate after the 'coming-back-from-London-with-very-scary-ideas-in-a-Brecht-type-of-way' debacle. However maybe not so good for those volunteering for the 'Peru panto'.

mwah-ha-ha-ha

*disappears into cloud of minature train smoke*