Chris Eldon Lee reviews ‘Beryl’ which is at Birmingham Rep until Saturday 28th November.
Judging by the number of men in shorts in last night’s audience, Birmingham Rep’s bike rack must have been brimming. And we see eight knees on stage too, as West Yorkshire Playhouse bring their very likeable Beryl Burton bio-pic to Brum – on the final stages of their Tour de Britain. Each actor has been averaging up to 10 kilometres a day cycling on stage…but there’s no sign of saddle soreness.
It’s very much a “let’s do the show right here” production, as four track-suited cyclists gather in a bike workshop to tell the tale of someone most of us have never heard of. Just to put us at ease, the actors confess they’d never heard of her either till the auditions. Beryl Burton was one of the UK’s greatest ever sportswomen; but she racked up her records in the 50s and 60s when both cycling and women were still largely sidelined.
There’s a hugely cosy feel to the show. It’s a dramatised eulogy that feels like a homely convergence of Pathe Newsreel, Ealing Comedy, ‘Ripping Yarns’ and ‘Afternoon Play’; which is where it first appeared before Maxine Peake picked it up again to create the stage version.
Beryl was clearly a very determined woman. Having been taken seriously ill whilst sitting her 11 plus, she’s advised to avoid physical exertion for life. But that’s not going to stop our Beryl….and it’s the pluckiness of it all that provides the charm. “It’s all a case of mind over matter”, Beryl tells us. “I’ll make me mark.”
Samantha Power’s face is a picture. There’s a look of terrible glory and manic triumphalism on it whenever Beryl crosses the line….beads of grit dripping from her forehead and lasers of bloody-mindedness shining from her eyes. It’s an honest portrayal of a decidedly no nonsense Yorkshire housewife who expects to win everything and isn’t afraid to speak her mind; especially when she compares Britain’s merge sporting resources to those enjoyed by cyclists in the German Democratic Republic.
Samantha is the hub of an excellent ensemble who play everybody else…with Lee Toomes matching her mile for mile as her cycling-mad husband Charlie. We are told it is “love at first bike” and there’s beautifully inserted sound of an old-fashioned typewriter bell when their eyes first meet.
To be honest, most of director Rebecca Gatward’s theatricality will be familiar to anyone who’s seen small scale touring theatre; but special mention must be made of how the cast create the sound of an 60s aeroplane with their bikes. And let me also flag up the first live-on-stage ‘Cameron Arts Cuts’ joke I’ve seen…told with more than just a cheeky smile by those who will most feel the cold.
‘Beryl’ is a jolly good piece of work and a most fitting tribute to a hard-driven woman. Some of her records still stand today….and this show ensures we all know why.
Visit www.birmingham-rep.co.uk for information about Birmingham Rep.