Finest Fringe

Whilst being in London, I have seen many different kinds of theater ranging from musicals to murder mystery to comedy and beyond. These shows all fell in the range of large West End productions to Fringe theater. Fringe theater is small scale theater that is generally non traditional. Since being on this trip, I have seen a total of four fringe shows including Jim and Jules, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Glory Ride, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

I want to specifically write about Glory Ride because it was a small theater that showcased how they could make a big impact on a seemingly little budget. The whole storyline was based on the true story of an Italian cyclist name Gino Bartali. Gino spent his life cycling and competing in races when he caught the attention of the Italian team for the Tour de France whose coach was a blackshirt. The blackshirts were army members under the control of Mussolini during WWII. Gino won the Tour de France and became an idol for many people in Italy. Gino eventually used his position of power to make 53 trips on his bike taking edited passports to people in order to help them escape the country.

There were a few technical aspects that the play utilized including the use of a functioning bike and projections. The projections were used to make a connection between the present story being told and it’s historical background. They not only displayed dates and facts with the projections, but there was also a point in the show where they showed clips of Gino Bartali’s actual races. The videos of the races worked to convey that sense of connection to the past, but the projected dates and times were a little cheesy. They same point could have been made if they had managed to slip a line into the play saying the date.

It was also creative how they implemented a working bike into the show. The bike was ridden across the stage, and there were moments when the bike was made stationary so that it could be used in racing scenarios. Both of these aspects of the bike made it easier to connect the main character to his role as a cyclist instead of the bike being seen as “just a prop.”

Overall, the musical was working to tell the story of a humble historical figure through an emotional and inspiring narrative. While some of the plot points were jumpy, the production was successful in completing its main goal. It fits in well with a quote from Bartali himself. “The good you do, but you do not talk about it. Certain medals hang on your soul, not on your jacket.”

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time ❤