The 39 Steps to close on 10 Jan

Broadway�s longest running play in seven years, The 39 Steps, will end its run on 10 Jan 2010.

The 39 Steps, which has been housed at three different theatre's on Broadway, will have played 23 previews and 771 regular performances when it closes.

The comedy had its Broadway premiere at the Roundabout's American Airline Theatre where it ran from the 4 Jan to 29 Mar 2008 for a limited engagement, before transferring to the Cort Theatre where it played from 29 Apr 2008 to 4 Jan 2009, and then finally it moved to the Helen Hayes Theatre on 21 Jan 2009.

The Broadway premiere opened to mostly excellent reviews: "Entertaining comedy" (New York Theatre Guide); "Throwaway theater at its finest. And that�s no backhanded compliment."; (NY Times); "Pushed Hitchcock's brilliance into some riotous realm of satire, without losing its essentially Hitchcockian flavor" (NY Post); "A jaunty homage to Hitchcock, "The 39 Steps" is whirlwind funny business." (Star-Ledger); "An utterly pointless but physically and conceptually ingenious spoof " (NewsDay); "See the movie. And forget the show." (Journal News); "An entertaining diversion"; (Variety).

The play received four 2008 Tony nominations - including Best Play and Best Director. It won two Tony Awards, for Best Lighting Design (Kevin Adams) and Best Sound Design (mic Pool).

The 39 Steps is adapted by Patrick Barlow and directed by Maria Aitken. The production is based on an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon and on the book by John Buchan.

The 39 Steps: Seeking a frivolous night out at the theatre, Richard Hannay is lured into a world of intrigue by a mysterious woman claiming to be a spy. When she winds up dead in his flat, he flees London with the police hot on his trail. The �unstageable� thriller is staged, with four cast members playing a minimum of 150 roles.

The 39 Steps contains every single legendary scene from the award-winning movie � including the chase on the Flying Scotsman, the escape on the Forth Bridge, the first theatrical bi-plane crash ever staged and the sensational death-defying finale in the London Palladium, besides many other favourite cinematic moments, including the memorable and controversial �stockings and suspenders� scene!

The production currently stars Sean Mahon (Richard Hannay), Jill Paice (Annabella Schmidt/Pamela/Margaret), Jeffrey Kuhn (Man #1) and Arnie Burton (Man #2)

The creative team features Peter McKintosh (set and costumes), Kevin Adams (lighting) and Mic Poo (sound).

The 39 Steps has been a hit in London�s West End since it opened there on 20 Jan 2006, where it continues its run at the Criterion Theatre, currently booking through to 23 Oct 2010. The production received its American debut at Boston�s Huntington Theatre Company.