Take Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 spy movie, add a dash of Monty Python and throw in some physical comedy – then you’ll have the production “The 39 Steps.”

“This is the funniest play I have ever read,” said co-director Robert Hall, who is also one of the lead actors. “There is vaudeville, burlesque and Commedia dell’arte – really a wide range of styles.”

The Tony award-winning theatrical work is at Orcas Center’s OffCenter Stage on February 13 to 15 and 20 to 22. Deborah Sparks is directing the fast-paced whodunit with Hall.

“Sparks is a force of nature,” Hall said. “I have seen some really brilliant streaks of creativity from her in this production.”

Tickets are $15 for adults, $11 for students ($2 off for Orcas Center Members) and may be purchased at www.orcascenter.org or by calling 376-2281 ext. 1.

The play is known for its outrageous antics and a zany cast of more than 40 characters.

Finding the right actors was key to the production. Sparks said that Hall, Grace McCune, Christopher Evans and Cali Bagby embody the traits needed to pull off the play’s demands.

“A comedy that is based on physicality, timing and very short, clipped lines takes an amazing memory, agility, a great sense of humor and a lot of creativity,” Sparks said. “Without them (the cast), we would not have considered doing this play.”

The production also features a bi-plane and puppets by Andrea Cohen, a surprise cameo and some good old-fashioned romance.

“The 39 Steps” was originally a British thriller film directed by Hitchcock. Loosely based on the 1915 novel “The Thirty-Nine Steps” by John Buchan, it is about a man named Richard Hannay in London who tries to help a counter-espionage agent prevent an organization of spies from stealing top secret information.

The play is a farce of the film and the book and pokes fun at the 1930s and British society.

Hall plays Hannay, who finds new life – and love – on his adventure. McCune is the damsel in distress and Bagby and Evans play “clowns,” juggling around 15 characters each.

“Chris and Cali work really well together and they aren’t afraid to try things,” Hall said. “This cast is fearless and uninhibited and accessible.”

Sparks said the benefit of a small  cast is that the actors get to know each other’s personalities and their styles of working very well.

“It provides a deeper acting experience,” she said. “No one scene works without the support of all.”