A "Ride" to Remember - REVIEW

To a casual observer, a theatre trip is like a ride in a limo. 

It's a little taste of luxury, a step away from the mundane; like a limo ride, it often comes with high priced drinks, and a flash of a world you only get to know for a second before you are suddenly back in reality.

"Ride" is a musical that is its own trip; its own taste of a thousand different worlds squashed into one and a half hours of a tale that quite literally you need to see to believe. I went to see this at the studio theatre at the Curve in Leicester, and I honestly think it is going to take the world by storm. 

It tells of a tale of Annie 'Londonderry' Kopchovsky, a woman who gained notoriety for being the first woman to cycle across the world. What I loved so much about this musical is that, like the humble bicycle, this tale grew its own wheels and spun its audience around the world, grabbing our hearts along the way.

This was a two woman play, led by the sterling cast that is Liv Andrusier and Katy Ellis. Liv had previously starred in the role of Annie, so you could see how easily she took to the role again, like a duck to water. She owned the stage and owned the part as if Annie was her main role, with Liv being a side character. Every song performance was a story in and of itself, and every emotion flowed with every word, and this led to the highlight of the show.

Without spoiling, it is a rare pleasure to see a character come undone in such a way that when you see the real Annie, and understand the real story, it makes everything else fade away, and you actually realise the reality of her world is not all full of glitter, fame and glory.

Katy Ellis had no easy task to keep up with such a character, and in the wrong hands such a part had the danger of being lost in the powerful character that was Annie, but Katy did a brilliant job not only balancing Liv's performance but pushing herself as well. Not only did she have to play the extraordinary character of Martha, but she also had to play a multitude of other characters that just made the whole show even more interesting to watch. 

In a two-person play, it can be very easy for one cast member to dominate the show, but not in this case. Both women gave and took from each other with an effortlessness that was fantastic to see, and the chemistry was indescribable. It was like they had been acting with each other for years, and that is always a pleasure to see in a cast. 

The music was wonderful, and each song felt like it could have been its own show. The band did an amazing job, and it was excellently directed I felt. Each movement, each use of prop, felt so natural to see and it added to the general atmosphere of the show. I also felt it was a pleasant surprise that the studio theatre where this took place was bigger than I imagined, and as the story opened up a new world, so did the stage itself. This was a lovely bit of mirroring that I am sure was intentional and just made me fall even harder for the show.

To a casual observer, I should imagine this show was a jaunt away from what you'd normally expect from a show, but whether you're an avid theatre goer or a first timer, you can't deny this show packs a punch, and always offers a surprise in the unlikeliest of places. It is also witty and powerful and
contains themes still sadly relevant in this day and age.

Needless to say, it's five stars from me. This musical is not unlike the tale it weaves; it's plucky, extraordinary, and proves women are extraordinary, whether they are world record holders, stay-at-home mothers, or everything in between. I can't wait for the rest of the world to know about this. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐