The minimalist cast was the concept of an earlier writing team. [Patrick Barlow] was first brought on board roughly five years ago with the idea that he would play [Richard Hannay], he says, but instead he ended up rewriting the entire production. He's an expert in this sort of thing, as founder of Britain's National Theatre of Brent, a satirical outfit that's become a cult favorite thanks to two- and three-man productions such as "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "Wagner's Ring Cycle."

"The whole point about this is an homage to theater, even though it's trying to do a film. It's done with smoke, four trunks, and three ladders, and that's it," [Maria Aitken] says. "Of course, the world's most sophisticated sound and lighting [too]. But it is an actor's piece. I think that's what audiences love. They're not tired of gigantic music with trillions spent on the set, but it is rather great to go and see something where that is not the preoccupation. Where some sort of magic is made out of nothing, or apparently nothing."  hide...