Martin Happer knows the role of Richard Hannay like the back of his hand.Happer, 32, just completed a run as the principal character in The 39 Steps at the Arts Club in Vancouver in November and will be reprising it during the show’s March 4 to April 9 staging at the Chemainus Theatre Festival.“I know it pretty well,’’ laughed Happer of his role.“It’s been a bit of a strange experience having just completed a completely different production of the same show.’’Happer’s Hannay is the one constant in the production, unlike what’s required of the others — Ruth Brown, Timothy Brummund and Andrew Cownden.“My character stays the same throughout,’’ said Happer. “The other three play all the other characters and obstacles I come into contact with along the journey.’’The play mixes elements of a Hitchcock masterpiece with juicy segments of Monty Python-style hilarity.The performance is based on the 1935 Hitchcock film that starred Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. It’s a satire, love story and comedy all rolled into one.The plot involves a man in London who tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to save himself and also stop a spy ring from stealing top secret information.“The audience can expect a really good time — that is first and foremost in the order,’’ said Happer.“The story, the plot, is not complicated, but it’s a fun plot. It’s got everything. It’s got action. It’s got romance. But the whole thing is a physical farce.“It’s pretty wild for the audience to watch us create the story in front of them. It’s one of the funnest things I’ve ever done on stage. It really is such a ball.’’Happer was born in North Vancouver and grew up in Abbotsford. Acting captivated him from a young age.“I got involved in high school productions,’’ he said. “I started to perform then and I caught the bug when I was in high school.’’Happer is making his Chemainus Theatre Festival debut. He’s been keeping an eye on the productions there and always relished the idea of landing a role after hearing nothing but good things from friends and colleagues about the facility.Happer’s happy it’s finally coming to fruition.“I love everything the small town Island life has to offer,’’ he said. “That was certainly a big draw for me.“A lot of the shows they were producing, they do a lot of classics so that’s very appealing to me. I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for what’s coming next for Chemainus.’’

Ladysmith Chronicle