It might only be three steps to heaven but it’s a full 39 to theatrical perfection – as proven by the cast of Helston Community College’s latest production.

The young actors took on no less than 139 roles in 100 minutes in their staging of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller The 39 Steps, recreated for the stage as an Olivier Award-winning comedy.

Audiences were given the chance to follow the adventures of handsome hero Richard Hannay - complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache - as he encountered dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents and, naturally, devastatingly beautiful women.

Directed by college head of drama Madeleine Spink, the show ran over three nights last week in the college’s south site hall.

It received glowing reactions from audiences, who praised the production afterwards for keeping them “totally entertained” with its chase scenes, phoney police and baddie, and “cheeky” script.