World Culture Festival: The audience laughs uncontrollably at “The 39 Steps”

The murder-espionage dramedy “The 39 Steps” opened on the 21st day of the ongoing World Culture Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) in Karachi on Wednesday, sending the audience rolling in the aisles. The play is a clever and entertaining parody that brings to life the classic 1915 novel by John Buchan and the iconic 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. Originally created as a four-actor production in 1996 by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, it was later reimagined by Patrick Barlow in 2005. The plot centers on a character named Mirza Baig, an ordinary man whose life takes a drastic turn when a mysterious woman, Erum Rafiq, is murdered in his apartment.