NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Alexandra Palace Theatre

★★★★

“It is testament to Rice’s stylish and ingenious staging that we never lose the plot.”

The lights are dim, casting shadows on the revolving doors and liquor bottles, while silhouettes of shady figures move silently in the twilight, fedora’s tilted to shade the eyes. We expect Sam Spade to step out from the smoky, jazz rhythms; dressed in his gabardine long coat and Bogart drawl. Or Cary Grant with his transatlantic blend of cut glass and high class. But instead, Katy Owen, stalwart of Emma Rice’s ‘Wise Children’ company, trashes the fourth wall and greets us like music hall regulars. Lithe and angular, she moves like a panther high on humour and anarchic energy. She is the narrator, the professor, and other spies and deliciously unsavoury characters that fill the world Rice has created. Along with the five other cast members (is that all… there seem to be so many more?) she upturns, subverts and twists Alfred Hitchcock’s classic “North by Northwest”. ‘You’ve got to be on the ball to keep up with this’ she proclaims at the outset. Never mind being on the ball. We are clearly going to have a ball.

Newspaper headlines tell us where we are in time and context and banded suitcases let us know where we are in place, and who we are dealing with. Even so, it’s probably best to brush up on a rough synopsis before entering the auditorium. If only to appreciate the in-jokes and inventive use of props and scenery to depict the scenes. You must go and see for yourself how the iconic bi-plane chase in the cornfield is recreated. But I’m getting ahead of myself. This is a spy story, set in the late fifties, that sweeps across North America from New York to Mount Rushmore via Chicago. A tale of mistaken identity. Roger Thornhill (Ewan Wardrop) summons a bell boy in the Plaza hotel, New York, so he can call his mum. Two suspicious looking gangsters are watching him and assume he is George Kaplan – a spy who needs to be kidnapped and taken to their master. The ‘butterfly effect’ sets in motion a chaotic series of events whereby Roger becomes the hunted and the hunter, searching for the non-existent Kaplan (he’s an FBI made-up decoy) while being pursued by both enemies and friends of the state. Oh, and he falls in love on the way with double agent Eve (Patrycja Kujawska). Nobody is who they appear to be. It is testament to Rice’s stylish and ingenious staging that we never lose the plot.

There is a lot of multi-rolling – and gender blind is an understatement. Karl Queensborough is magnificent as the gangster ringleader Phillip Vandamn, while giving a hilarious turn as other cameos – especially Roger’s mother. Mirabelle Gremaud and Simon Oskarsson get to demonstrate their versatility as the hapless spies Anna and Valerian, among countless others. Kujawska’s Eve is suitably slippery, yet sassily sensual as the love interest we never know whether to trust or not. Despite all appearances to the contrary, Roger never loses faith (well, maybe for a moment or too – but he’s only human). Wardrop pitches the offhand charm and wit to near perfection.

As with all Rice’s shows, music is a key feature. Composer Simon Baker mixes his own sounds with classic tunes from the period. But absent is the actor-muso element. Instead, to fabulous comic effect, the cast lip synch to the musical numbers with faultless precision. Etta Murfitt’s choreography adds surreal touches that, in less able hands, could easily jar but this company are expert at combining physical theatre with drama, with comedy – and with storytelling. Owen’s narration certainly helps. A star performance, and she still has time to slip into other guises.

It is in danger of becoming a little bit muddled towards its final moments, and the same tricks are just on the brink of being overused. But as these zany, talented characters cling to the precipice of Mount Rushmore we are rooting for them, even though the suspense is lacking. We’re not entirely sure what Hitchcock might make of it all. He’d want more danger and darkness perhaps. But Rice is a master of her craft and fans of the film will love this play as much as fans of ‘Wise Children’.

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Alexandra Palace Theatre

Reviewed on 12th June 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Steve Tanner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BIRDSONG | ★★★ | February 2025

AN INSPECTOR CALLS | ★★★★ | September 2024

THE GLASS MENAGERIE | ★★★★ | May 2024

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST STORY | ★★★★ | November 2023

TREASON THE MUSICAL | ★★★ | November 2023

BUGSY MALONE | ★★★★★ | December 2022

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

★★★★

“a magnificent spectacle of a classic play that continues to engage”

J B Priestley’s ‘An Inspector Calls’ continues its over 30 year run on tour this year, and I was lucky enough to see it played at Alexandra Palace. Like most people, I first read (and adored) the play at 15 for my GCSEs, however, I never got a chance to see it until now. I’m glad to say my high expectations were not disappointed.

It’s 1912 and the upper class Birling family are celebrating the engagement of Sheila Birling and Gerald Croft over dinner. Yet, their celebrations halt when Inspector Goole pays them a visit, and informs them of the death of a local lower class woman. Through his investigation of the family, they become shaken by their involvement in the woman’s life and their clear contributions to her death.

The play is none traditional in its portrayal of the text. The family’s introduction is framed from an outsider’s perspective – due to the fantastic design of Ian MacNeil. A house where the Birling’s is hoisted above the stage, which appears as a destroyed and blackened street. The opening scene is played within the house, while others watch them on the street. An interesting portrayal of the hierarchical society in which we live. I was a little apprehensive at this point, however, due to the overuse of haze on stage that practically blocked all sightlines, while it was also quite hard to hear the actors’ dialogue. Mics are used, but I fear they were too quiet against the echoey space. I think the opening scene is key in introducing the characters, setting up the context and foreshadowing the events of the play, so I would have liked the scene to be visible, rather than wholly playing inside the rather small house. Instead, the set opens up when the Inspector is introduced to the family and – to my relief – the majority of the action takes place downstage.

The cast, with polished direction from Stephen Daldry, shine in their individual roles, with Tim Treloar portraying a highly energetic and unapologetic Inspector Goole. Jeffrey Harmer also stands out as Mr Birling, bringing a lovely sense of youth and charm to a role one would often only see as a boring and business focused villain. The stand out performance for me, however, was Leona Allen as Sheila – a strong portrayal of a woman who is still so childlike in her behaviour, desperately yearning to be heard.

The costumes are traditional to the era of the play – the men wear trim suits perfect for a dinner party. Sheila of course wears an all white gown, perhaps signifying her future marriage or perhaps her innocence. It gets dirtied in the rain, however, once she begins to discover the consequences of her past actions – so I would say the latter. Mrs Birling wears a very glamorous deep red and black gown and is well decorated in pearls and other accessories. Such vampish glamour would appear similar to the ‘evil queen’ characters of many fairytale depictions.

Overall, the show is a magnificent spectacle of a classic play that continues to engage audiences. It’s important to note, that every other review I’ve seen – which date back many years – all state the play is ‘more relevant now than ever’. With the gap between the rich and poor arguably being the same now as it was in the time the play is set, that is especially true in this revival. In the 30+ years this iteration of the show has been performed, it appears the class divide has only gotten worse. One hopes a day will come when the play is not as pertinent as it is today.

Tag Archives: Alexandra Palace Theatre

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

★★★★

Alexandra Palace Theatre

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Alexandra Palace Theatre

★★★★

“It is testament to Rice’s stylish and ingenious staging that we never lose the plot.”