Brownell, Deasy Photo by Craig Schwartz

Its current incarnation is adapted by Patrick Barlow, based on an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon, based on the book by John Buchan, but its primary claim to fame sparks from Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 movie of the same name.

As now playing on the La Jolla Playhouses Mandell Weiss Theatre stage, The 39 Steps has become a campy comedy thriller, mostly fun and creatively staged but lacking a good bit of discipline. Nevertheless, it's a zany little show with lots of good laughs, more than a few silly Hitchcock references and loads of delightfully innovative effects.

The plot focuses on a bored man of means, Richard Hannay (a suave and charming Ted Deasy), who drags himself to the theatre in search of a cure for his ennui and ends up an accused murderer on the lamb. The catalyst for his wild change of circumstance is a lovely spy, Annabella Schmidt (an alluring Claire Brownell), whom he meets at the theatre and takes back to his flat, where she is murdered, supposedly by some other spies who do not come in from the cold but hang about the street lamps in front of Hannay's building. (And you thought Michael Douglas made a bad choice in Fatal Attraction.) Seeking to elude both the spies and the police, Hannay makes a run for it. His destination is a tiny burg in Scotland that Annabella indicated would solve the mystery of the 39 steps.

Along the way is where the laughs are. Give credit to the Scenic, Lighting and Sound Designers, Peter McKintosh, Kevin Adams and Mic Pool, respectively, for enabling the play's most delightful, even hilarious, situations. (The wind effects are hysterical!) Hitchcock's film made ample use of planes, trains and automobiles but his effects seem pedestrian in comparison to the remote controlled toys, shadow puppets, and dizzily assembled furniture pieces that stand for transportation on the Playhouse stage.

The four cast members who play a host of characters, making super speedy costume changes mid-conversation and on stage, show off an extraordinary amount of energy and enthusiasm. Of special note are Eric Hissom and Scott Parkinson, understatedly billed as Man #1 and Man #2, who juggle hats and coats as well as voices and accents with dexterous aplomb. (Note to costume designer, Peter McKintosh: There are ways to indicate female anatomy without resorting to fake breasts the size of Cadillac headlamps. Funny once, maybe, but…)

Claire Brownell, right off the Broadway production, does triple duty as the German spy Annabella Schmidt, the innocent and heroic farm wife Margaret and the vampy-good-girl Pamela, pulling each off with a sly sexiness reminiscent of Jean Harlow. Ted Deasy plays the lead role of Richard Hannay with a suave Clark Gable flair, making the whole effort look easy.

Yet, there is work to be done.

Director Maria Aitken needs to whip up some of the action and find a good pair of shears to cut some bulky business. Suggestions for the former include the early scenes at the Paladium with Mr. Memory and the farm house scene, both of which bog down the action and slow the momentum. Business-wise, she can cut the cigarette smoking (cough-cough), then move to the scenes on the train—enjoyable in the beginning, but containing shticks so repetitive they become insulting. (ie. Underwear salesmen flapping panties and bras as if we had never seen them before and passengers trying to get by each other, muttering "excuse me" "sorry," etc. over and over and …Ok, we get it! Move on, already!)

A final note to Aitken: A show making fun of itself is a risky thing, as self-satire can become cloying if too liberally employed.

A final final: Laughter is priceless. These days we can use all the guffaws and giggles this bit of theatre can deliver. In its modern form at the Playhouse, The 39 Steps can take you all the way to a good time.

The 39 Steps plays at the Mandell Weiss Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse through September 13. Curtain: 7:30 pm Tues-Weds; 8:00 pm Thu-Sat; 7:00 pm Sun. Matinees at 2:00 pm Sat-Sun. Tickets: $30-$65 through www.lajollaplayhouse.org or call (858) 550-1010.