Robert Portal and Jimmy Chisolm Join the West End's The 39 Steps
Two new cast members are joining the Olivier Award-winning
The 39 Steps on 23 April. Robert Portal and Jimmy Chisolm are joining continuing cast members Rachel Pickup and Simon Gregor in Patrick Barlow’s comic adaptation of John Buchan’s classic that is playing at the West End’s Criterion Theatre.
Portal, who is replacing Charles Edwards as Richard Hannay, most recently played Maurice in Tom & Viv at the Almeida Theatre. His other theatre credits include Private Lives and Deep Blue Sea at Theatre Royal Bath, Calico at the Duke of York’s Theatre, Noises Off at the Piccadilly Theatre and numerous productions for the RSC. On television, he has starred in Margaret, Rosemary & Thyme and Distant Shores.
Chisholm is replacing Rupert Degas as Clown. He has worked extensively at the Royal Lyceum Theatre performing in
The Merchant of Venice, A Life in the Theatre, The Comedy of Errors, Three Sisters and
Hamlet. His other theatre credits include
Measure for Measure at the RSC and
Dumbstruck and
Macbeth for the Tron Theatre Company. His film and TV credits include
Take the High Road, Taggert, Braveheart, Mrs. Brown and
Festival.
Maria Aitken’s production of The 39 Steps, which is best known as Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 classic movie thriller, is performed by four actors playing 150 roles and contains every single legendary scene from the movie. These include the chase on the Flying Scotsman, the escape on the Forth Bridge, the first theatrical bi-plane crash ever staged and the sensational death-defying finale in the London Palladium. The show won the award for Best New Comedy at this year’s Oliviers.
The 39 Steps is currently booking until 15 September.