Adventure Thriller Takes Centre Stage in Town Wide Read

Swindon Borough Council’s library service has teamed up with the Wyvern Theatre to invite people to read John Buchan’s The 39 Steps, prior to watching Patrick Barlow’s adaptation on stage at the Wyvern in February.

Libraries across the town are giving away 2,000 free copies of The 39 Steps, with new library members being offered an exclusive ticket discount to watch the production at the Wyvern Theatre. Existing library members who encourage a friend to join will also receive the discount. Details of how to receive the Wyvern ticket discount are available at all of the town’s libraries.

The 39 Steps is set just before the outbreak of the First World War and is a comedy thriller featuring the dashing hero Richard Hannay, as he stumbles into a dangerous cat and mouse chase from London to Scotland pursued by German Spies.

The stage production, which runs from February 4th to 9th, is based on the film adaptation of the book and features four actors playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action.

Swindon Libraries’ Local Studies team have also put together a trail of 39 things to see around Swindon Town Centre which will run in conjunction with the Town Wide Read. Details will be available in Swindon’s libraries over the coming weeks.

Cllr Keith Williams, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Strategic Transport who is also responsible for the town’s libraries, said: “The Thirty-Nine Steps is a fantastic tale and I’m really pleased we have been able to join forces with the Wyvern to come up with a fun way of combining our reading initiative with their stage production.

“This is a great opportunity to introduce non-members to our wonderful library service and I hope people dash down to their local libraries to pick up their free copies of the book and claim their discount for the Wyvern show.”

Derek Aldridge, The Wyvern’s Theatre Director, said: “We’re thrilled that local audiences are able to engage with the production, before its arrival in Swindon, through this blissfully brilliant opportunity – I know I’ll be reading my copy of The 39 Steps before the show arrives this February!”

Literary lovers who have read The 39 Steps can share their views of the novel with other readers by joining one of Swindon’s many reading groups. For more information about local reading groups visit: http://readinggroups.org

To find out more about the book and John Buchan why not check out the website of the John Buchan Society here: http://www.johnbuchansociety.co.uk

For more information about the stage production at the Wyvern click here.