HALLOWELL — Gaslight Theater will present “The 39 Steps,” based on the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, opening May 18 at Hallowell City Hall.

The plot closely follows the classic Hitchcock film; however, all roles in the past-paced whodunit are played by only four actors. 

Canadian Richard Hannay is leading a boring life in London. Out for amusement at a London music hall, he meets a woman with a mysterious accent. When shots are fired and he takes her home for safety, she is murdered. Soon, a shadowy organization called “The 39 Steps” is hot on Hannay’s trail in a nationwide manhunt that climaxes in a death-defying finale.

In Hannay’s travels he meets a plucky young Englishwoman, a sweet Scottish farm wife and an assortment of enemies and allies. Actors jump in and out of costumes hats and accents with lightning speed, sometimes in mid-conversation.

The production also features an escape from a moving train, an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, bagpipes and romance.

“The 39 Steps” is a two-time Tony and Drama Desk award winner. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 18-19; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 20;  and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 24-26. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. For reservations, call 626-3698.