The 39 Steps

Writing credits for this amusing four-hander production of The 39 Steps are given to the book's author, John Buchan , and Patrick Barlow (he of National Theatre of Brent) "from an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon". Strangely it makes no mention of Charles Bennett or Ian Hay whose work , as adaptor and dialogue writer of Hitchcock's 1935 film, most of this production is based on. Directed by Maria Aitken (bizarrely), this is an amusing production with a great cast (Rupert Degas, Charles Edwards, Catherine McCormack and Simon Gregor) and some inventive staging. Great value for money too - we managed to get a What's On Stage two-for-one offer which worked out at £7.50 a seat. You can't complain at that, can you? Apart from the fact that the theatre seemed to be running a bizarre two-tier system of seat allocation. If you paid full-price, you got a numbered seat. If you didn't, you had to arrive early or wander round the theatre looking for somewhere to sit. This system naturally results in lots of single seats scattered around the theatre which was hopeless if you had come as a party of two or more. What is this thing about unallocated seating? It's the worst thing about visiting the otherwise excellent Soho Theatre and new heights to this policy were experienced at an otherwise enjoyable visit to see Bill Bailey at the Battersea Arts Centre where the tickets had seat numbers on them but the seats didn't. I mean, for heaven's sake. How much money are they saving by not putting numbers on the seats or the tickets (or both)? It's like flying with easyjet or Ryanair - it really can't be the lack of allocated seating that lets them fly you at rock bottom prices. It just seems to be designed to make the whole experience more miserable than it need be. Stop it at once. Top tips

• Pre-theatre: The Small & Beautiful restaurant 351 Kilburn High Road does an edible two course menu for £5.50 Mon-Thurs. You can't say fairer than that.