In the late 1970s and early ’80s, there were two types of movies: big, wild, Barnum and Bailey, showy-type films, and small, intimate movies. Plenty of people could pull off the quiet films, but when it came to the circus, no one stepped up quite as well as a young director named Steven Speilberg.

I can’t think of a better description for the work of Blair Hundertmark. Whether his stage is large or small, he utilizes every corner of the theater and every facet of each actor and crew member for his latest work. He combines Jeanné McCartin’s costuming brilliance with Audra Avery’s resplendent scenic design skills, and tops it all off with Craig Faulkner’s incandescent lighting design. The result is a devilishly bold piece of art. Running at Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, “Around the World in 80 Days” attracts 2-year-olds and 80-year-olds alike, and all eyes remain fixed on the stage for fear of missing a single moment.

The play begins in a gentlemen’s club in 19th century London, where a cigar-sucking brandy-sniffer refers to a recent article in the London Times. Someone has figured out that it is theoretically possible to circumvent the globe in 80 days. (There’s also an article about a bank robbery, but that captures little of the men’s attention.) All but one of the club members laughs at the notion, but a somewhat mysterious member named Phileas Fogg (Brian Gregg) calmly asserts that it can be done. Scoffed at by his gaming fellows, Fogg bets $20,000 that he can pull off the feat, and the collective members of the club match his wager.

A born mathematician with an internal clock for precision in all matters, Fogg embarks on his journey immediately. He is accompanied by his new servant, the Frenchman Passepartout (Allan Mayo Jr.), who, ironically, has left behind years of circus performance for a quieter existence. Still, his loyalty to his master quickly grows, and the two depart equipped only with a few shirts, their passports and a large sum of money stuffed in a carpetbag.

Word of the wager quickly spreads across every paper in the U.K. A week later, an article catches the interest of Detective Fix (CJ Lewis), who wonders if Fogg left the U.K. in such a hurry and under such ridiculous circumstances because it was he who committed the bank robbery. Detective Fix then begins a pursuit that turns out to be much more arduous than Fogg’s journey.

Brian Chamberlain, who plays several roles in the production, demonstrates his impressive versatility as an actor. Allan Mayo Jr. throws himself into his role with such a fervored passion that his panic, joy and fierce loyalty to Fogg completely infect the audience. Whatever he feels, we feel, too, and by the end of the play, he’s exhausted us in the most delicious away. Played by Christine Dulong, Princess Aouda is a refined lady, but she’s not above shooting a gun from a train against attacking Indians or taking matters of love firmly into her own hands.

The most difficult role of all rests of the shoulders of Brian Gregg as the constantly calm Phileas Fogg. No matter what sorts of chaos happen around him, he never loses his cool, never lets panic seize him and never breaks a sweat. He is the North Star the cast follows toward its destination.

Hundertmark breaks every rule there is, thereby creating a work never before conceived. Behind him is a team of artists who display their mighty talent to the end. Much credit should go to Jeanné McCartin and Audra Avery, who imaginatively create all the complex and multifaceted pieces of each costume and stick of scenery.

If you’re looking for an afternoon of adventure and hilarity, with moments of heartwarmth thrown in for good measure, this is a spring show you can’t miss.
    
“Around the World in 80 Days” will play through June 25 at The Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For reservations, call 603-433-4472.