Hi everyone, and welcome to the first review of 2025! Here’s to another year of excellent and accessible theatre!

The first review of the year is The 39 Steps, written by John Buchan, adapted by Patrick Barlow, and directed by the brilliant Ryan McBride at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester. This thrilling and hilarious production follows the story of Richard Hannay, played by Mateo Oxley, as he finds himself on the run across the Scottish Moors with the fate of the British Empire at stake!

This show is a comedy masterclass from beginning to end! The two clowns, Danielle Bird and Phil Yarrow, do a fantastic job of keeping the audience howling with laughter, with Danielle particularly shining in her role as The Professor! If my schedule had allowed, I would have gladly seen this production again!

The set design is simple—but in a good way. It allows you to fully engage with the story while still making it visually clear when the location changes. There is also great use of props that cleverly transform from one thing to another—kudos to the workshop department for their creativity! Hopefully, these details are effectively conveyed in the Audio Description, ensuring that blind and visually impaired audience members can fully appreciate these clever transitions.

The use of colourful costumes helps establish each character clearly and makes them visually distinct. However, there are moments when the two clowns switch characters simply by changing hats. While this is a clever and understandable choice given the fast pace of the show, it may make following character transitions a little more challenging, especially for those relying on partial vision. Ideally, the Audio Description will help clarify these moments for blind and visually impaired audiences.

This is, at times, a very visual show, with several physical comedy moments and visual gags. There are also two loud gunshot sounds—one at the very end of Act One and another towards the end of Act Two—so be prepared for those if you are sensitive to sudden noises.

For audience members with little to no vision, there may be moments where visual gags are missed without Audio Description. However, this does not impact the overall understanding of the story—you won’t miss anything crucial plot-wise. If you have some useful vision, I recommend sitting as close to the centre of Row E as a minimum, though Rows D or C would be even better for an optimal view.

For those wanting an accessible experience, there is an Audio-Described performance and Touch Tour on Saturday, 29th March, at 2:30 PM, with the Touch Tour at 1:00 PM. More information, including ticket details, can be found on The Mercury Theatre Colchester’s website via the link here.

This is a wonderful production—gripping, hilarious, and full of energy! I couldn’t recommend it enough and would absolutely see it again if I had the chance!

Until next time,
The VI Critic