Bringing ‘The 39 Steps’ to the stage at Trinity.  

Originally a 1915 novel by John Buchan and adapted for the screen in 1935 by Alfred Hitchcock before being adapted as a parody play in 1996, The 39 Steps has a long history behind it, one that was continued by a new generation of Trinity stage aficionados in Term 2 of 2024. 

A fast-paced comedy with plenty of suspense and a huge cast of characters, The 39 Steps was the perfect choice for the latest Trinity Drama Production. Mr Brendan Duhigg – Head of Faculty, Drama – says that in the lead up to solidifying their choice of production, the Drama team were keen to get more younger students involved so a script with plenty of options regarding casting was essential. 

“We’re trying to grow our numbers in the Middle School years, so we wanted to do something on a bigger scale to give students lots of opportunities, but we also needed to choose a show where our leads could thrive – you wouldn’t do a musical if you didn’t have singers, so we’ve always got one eye on the talent we have, and one eye on getting more people involved.” 

The audition process took 2–3 weeks before twice-weekly rehearsals in the lead up to the show. 

“We try to make the audition process fun so it’s not pass or fail,” Mr Duhigg says. “We also had 5 or 6 girls from MLC joining the cast, so auditions and rehearsals also factored in plenty of ‘get-to-know-you’ exercises for those new additions.” 

The collaboration between Trinity and MLC for this production was essential and a great opportunity for the MLC students to get involved in another production following successful collaborations with One Man, Two Guv’nors and the Commitments. 

“When they start out in rehearsals, there’s often two camps – the boys and the girls – by the time we get to the end of the show, you’ve got to prise them apart. It’s wonderful to see them making connections as they work together to bring the show to life and forge those strong friendships.” 

Despite increasing the show’s run to span two weeks instead of just three performances – and having a dual cast, one from the Senior School, one from the Middle School, to bring the show to life – tickets are still in high demand, selling out so fast that many students don’t always get to see the show. To make sure they see a glimpse of the cast and crew’s hard work, a performance on Quad is put together, adapting a key scene from the show. 

“The AV guys love it because they can get some smoke and sound effects happening,” Mr Duhigg laughs. “And the rest of the kids get their moment of glory on Quad in front of their friends.” 

With so much time and energy being poured into the show, it’s always satisfying for staff and students alike to see the fruits of their labours getting a moment of appreciation outside of the theatre. 

Of course, the production itself is impressive enough, but Mr Duhigg says that it’s the moments of growth, respect and encouragement he witnesses as students step out of their comfort zones that are the real, lasting triumphs of the production. 

“There’s a real leadership that the older boys show to the younger boys,” he says, relaying a story of a Senior cast member who, on his night off, came to support the Junior cast, encouraging the younger boys backstage. “That’s a thing that we’ve really tried to foster as the Senior kids pass the baton onto the Junior kids – this culture of encouragement and kindness. It’s something that has to be driven by the boys themselves, but we celebrate it.”

When it comes to choosing the next production, Mr Duhigg says that their choice of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, based on the book of the same name by Mark Haddon will be something different for the students to sink their teeth into. 

“We always try to match what we’re trying to do with the development of the boys, utilising their maturity and their skillset,” he says, as he teases that a production with more serious themes might be on the horizon. “It’s going to be demanding, but we think they’re up for the challenge.” 

Keep your eyes peeled to secure your tickets to Trinity’s next production.