|
|
|
|
|
Samantha Power as Beryl, Britain's cycling phenomenon Beryl
Birmingham Rep Studio
**** MAXINE Peake’s dynamic presence within
theatre is certainly something to aspire to. She is invincible on stage and screen, having
most recently played the acclaimed part of Hamlet at the Royal exchange
in Manchester and in her debut play, Beryl, she has shown that
her talent knows no bounds. Beryl Burton’s story is truly unique. Better
known as the best British cycling all-rounder for twenty five years
running from 1959, she travelled the world to compete in countless
competitions, cycling from one side of the country to another because of
unaffordable train fares and smashed the women’s twelve hour time record
in 1967 with a distance that bettered the men’s mark for two years. The cast of four were fantastic story tellers. As
an audience, we were constantly immersed in the northern essence that
was seamlessly captured by their playful and fun deliverance. The play is an insight to not only who Beryl was,
but the legacy she left behind. In the brilliantly stylised and
technically clever production, actors Matthew Ganley, Lee Toomes,
Samantha Power and Rebecca Ryan work in equal measure to show the key
moments in Burton’s life. The script is woven with Northern humour and
interesting facts relating to women’s cycling, such as women not being
included in Olympic cycling events until 1984, a remarkable figure
considering the titles Beryl achieved before then. Peake’s remarkable
and punchy writing opens the audience’s eyes to shocking moments of the
barriers faced by women within sports, but it also sets to celebrate
Beryl’s determination and c The play is a memoir to Beryl’s life. Throughout
the course of the play, we witness her life from childhood until her
sudden death in 1996. Rebecca Gatward’s direction makes the passage of
time look as natural as possible. With slick transitions where actors
would change from one character to the next at the blink of an eye, the
story is smoothly told with a fascinating discovery of the efforts of
the remarkable lady.
Samantha Power plays Beryl. Through Power’s
performance, we gain an insightful and almost biographical understanding
of who Burton was as a sportswoman. The scenes have a quirky narration,
with the rest of the cast fitting into the stories as ‘smaller’
characters, like the man who gives Beryl a ride home in his van, the
over the top police officer, commentators and news reporters at
championships and even the Queen. Each additional character gave the
show its funny edge and playful undertone. Power, however, never lost
sight of the essence of Beryl and particularly shone in the second half
of the play. The sheer strength and absolute determination was
reflected by Power’s utter commitment to the iconic role. Power had the
sole responsibility of making the audience see the ‘other’ side to the
sportswoman and captured the touching moments of her family life with a
beautiful tenderness. The scene where Beryl competes and loses to her
daughter Denise was particularly moving. Power unearthed the soul
of a mother, conflicted with the obsession of winning. All actors show great talent and versatility. Lee
Toomes predominately plays Charlie, Beryl’s husband, as well as other
characters. Providing the emotional support and almost all of the
coaching Beryl had. Toomes brings a soft edge to the character of
Charlie, taking on the role of the almost forgotten, doting husband. In
his performance, he shows constant moral support and infinite belief and
Toomes is perfect in the role that carries an abundance of love for his
family. Rebecca Ryan and Matthew Ganley are also
fantastic within their parts. Ryan plays daughter Denise with incredible
flair. Like her mother, Denise Burton also made her mark in cycling as
we learn in the production. Ryan’s versatility for characterisation also
shines through when she takes on the role of other characters while
Ganley never failed to achieve roaring laughs from the audience,
sometimes even without saying a word as he injected the production with
wonderful humour and cheekiness. The set is used as their canvas to illuminate the
sacrifices Beryl and her family made to achieve her dreams. Bikes used
as props show the significance of the toil and hardship they went
through just to compete. The only mode of transport was to use the bike
and cycle to the destination, as the family could not afford train
faires. Even if it meant cycling from Yorkshire to London. The play pays homage to a fantastic and
underrepresented beacon of sport. The stylised and modern script bridges
the gap between the way sports was seen in the mid-twentieth century and
the celebration of heroes as we know sports to be today. Peake’s
wonderful account of a fantastic woman is brought to life. We see a
person as well as a sportswoman in a celebration of sports and the way
Beryl made her mark. To 28-11-15 Elizabeth Halpin
24-11-15
|
|
|
|
ourageous
personality all the more.