REVIEW: Ride (Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London) ★★★★★

Seat: Basement, F9 | Show: Thursday 27th July Matinee

After a critically acclaimed run at the Charing Cross Theatre in 2022 after workshops at the Vault Festival in 2020 and the Garrick Theatre in 2021, Ride has made its way back to London’s West End to wow audiences once again with the incredible story of Annie Londonderry, the first woman to cycle around the world. She made her way across the world in only 15 months, lecturing on her ‘specialist subjects’ and selling advertisements on her body to pay for the journey.

The story is framed as Annie pitching herself to the New York World newspaper office after her bike ride by sensationalising her journey. She ropes in their shy secretary Martha, who is at first too timid to achieve what Annie is asking of her. This frame narrative pops up throughout her storytelling, but it is so easy to get lost in her story as Annie transports both Martha and the audience all over the world. We come to learn that Annie is not the most reliable narrator as the show slowly peels back the façade of the famous Annie Londonderry and that she may not be exactly who she says she is. This fast-paced musical explores the role of women in the 1890s and Annie’s ferocity to prove herself as capable despite her lower-class position.

Liv Andrusier and Katy Ellis in Ride - Image by Danny Kaan

Liv Andrusier takes on the role of Annie Londonderry in a star-making performance, playing her boisterous persona as well as her heartbreaking vulnerability so endearingly. Annie could easily come across as too much or harsh, and she does have her moments with Martha, but Liv’s performance is so charming that, every second of those 90 minutes she spends onstage, the audience is entranced by her. Alongside her is Katy Ellis as Martha (amongst a number of other roles within Annie’s tale) and she is just as sensational as her scene partner despite being a completely different character. As a foil to Annie, Martha is an unwilling participant in Annie’s story but becomes more confident as Annie encourages her to be bolder. Katy plays Martha with such sincerity and is really relatable, at least to me, which makes you root for her growth in confidence throughout the show.

The two of them together have a beautifully intense relationship both as their principal characters and when Martha plays Annie’s journey partners Celine and Fred. There is an explicit romance with the character of Fred, which by itself is marvellous and draws you in deeply, but this romance feels hinted at between Annie and Martha throughout the show. Whether or not this was intended (I think it was), it is really nice to have sapphic representation in theatre even if it isn’t necessarily explicit. It really adds another layer to Annie as a character when she has these more exposing moments, and it really resonates with the audience to see her longing for a companion.

Understudying both of these roles is Fallon Mondlane who I’m sure gives an excellent performance as either of these characters and I’d love to see her version of Annie and Martha.

The creators of this show, Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams, wrote the book and the soundtrack and should be commended greatly for both. The material of this show is so strong that the show has mostly stayed the same (with some improvements) from the very beginning, according to other critics. The music, orchestrated by Macy Schmidt and supervised by Sam Young, really dictates the audience’s emotions, with really catchy music (like the titular song ‘Ride’) that will stay in your head for days on end after listening to it as well as chilling and romantic songs that will play with your heartstrings. Liv and Katy perform these songs with outstanding vocal ability filled to the brim with passion, and leave the audience with goosebumps, particularly in the songs ‘Miles Away from Boston’ and ‘Stranger’.

This music is surprisingly only performed by 3 very talented musicians: Sam Young as musical director and on keys (with Cerys McKenna as assistant musical director), Frankie South on guitar and Alex Maxted on percussion.

The view from my seat at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant

The set design, done by Amy Jane Cook who also designed the costumes, was very clever and it was so interesting to see how every single aspect of the small space was utilised. There are so many little magic tricks that you’ll want to see for yourself both in the set and props, such as a great water-into-wine moment. Jamie Platt’s lighting design really enhances this set and elevates the show’s powerful moments to make them even more gut-wrenching. This combination is phenomenal and really transports you all over the world despite being confined to a small newspaper office.

Sarah Meadows’ direction, along with movement choreography done by Natasha Harrison, really takes the show’s storytelling to another level. Every tiny action the characters make tell us more about their personalities and make them even more nuanced. They also utilise the small set really well, with the actors running around it like it was a playground and using every single prop. This show really makes the most of its short runtime, giving you everything you need but still leaving you wanting more.

I cannot recommend this triumph of a show enough, so make sure you go and see Ride at Southwark Playhouse Elephant before it closes on 12th August! You can buy tickets here: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/ride/?_gl=1*1hnubdp*_gcl_au*