When then-young filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock used all the tools of early cinema to tell the unlikely but entertaining espionage tale of John Buchan's 1915 novel The 39 Steps, the audience of 1935 marveled at the "realistic" visions of derring-do. The modern eye can easily see the holes in Hitch's primitive special effects, and the 2005 adaptation (by Patrick Barlow, concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon) pokes into and turns that "reality" on its head. The theatrical gimmicks are transparently - nay, determinedly and even victoriously - phony. And funny. It's a project well suited to the capabilities of Lakewood Playhouse: Managing Artistic Director John Munn is pumped to bring back the Monty Python style comedy he directed in last year's smash hit musical Spamalot while also paying homage to one of his very favorite directors - Alfred Hitchcock. 

THE 39 STEPS, 8 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through May 10, Lakewood Playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd., Lakewood, $19-$25, 253.588.0042