Actor Gary Mackay tells MATT OLIVER about the challenges of playing 30 different characters in Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps

Murder! Mystery! Treachery! Romance! was the original brief for Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps. But now the thriller has been given a stage-makeover and is coming to Oxford straight from the West End with a hilarious production that has four actors playing all 139 roles.

Gary Mackay, billed as ‘Man 1’ plays more than 30 different characters alone, which keeps him busy. “We literally play every character from women to the rocks and the trees,” he says.

Surely it must get confusing, playing so many roles? “You would think that,” he replies, “because it’s just so fast-paced but to be honest when I run off stage and someone suits me up, I don’t really have time to think about it.

“Sometimes the changes are as quick as the switch of a hat, so the audience doesn’t always see them coming, so it’s great to see how they react. I always know who I am when I walk back on.”

Performing at the Oxford Playhouse will also be particularly poignant for Gary because he learnt to act at the Oxford School of Drama: “It is a bit of a homecoming for me and really exciting because even though I have been to the Playhouse before, I have never actually performed there.

“And it’s been nearly 10 years since I was in Oxford even though my time there marked a huge milestone in my life,” he says, “and for that reason, Oxford holds some very pleasant, strong personal memories for me.”

Having wanted to be an actor since he was seven, he didn’t actually bite the bullet until he was 39, instead studying child psychiatry, and working in a hospice.

“It took me 32 years to pluck up the courage!” he admits.

And for Gary, being in The 39 Steps is the pinnacle of his career so far, and something he’s been aiming to do for most of his acting life. “I first saw the original show in London eight years ago when it first started and it's really my type of performance, which is very physically-orientated. So it was lovely, after 10 years of acting, to finally be asked.”

So far Gary says the performances are going well: “The audiences we’ve performed for so far have been lovely” he says, “friendly, responsive and loud. The applause can be quite deafening – which is really quite phenomenal.”

But with the tour coming to an end then, what are his final thoughts? “I’ve absolutely loved it,” he enthuses. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity and there really is nothing better than getting the laughs and reactions from the audience. I can see why comedians get such a buzz from it. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to a rest!”

The 39 Steps will be performed at the Oxford Playhouse from Monday, June 24 until Saturday, June 29. Call the box office on 01865305305, or visit oxfordplay house.com