‘Think of the strain involved!” marvels the compere introducing music-hall act Mr Memory at the start of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film of John Buchan’s novel. Mr Memory logs away 50 new facts each day but the industrious cast of four for Patrick Barlow’s adaptation have managed to learn 130 parts between them.
What I remember most about the hit comedy’s original West End transfer in 2006 is a whirl of ingenious stagecraft continually upping the ante. This revival, arriving at Trafalgar theatre after a tour, proves disappointingly forgettable. Too often you sense the wheels turning instead of losing yourself in the fun. The play should be equal parts thriller, comedy and romance – an ambitious mix – but it doesn’t satisfy on any of those levels.
