Glory Ride ★★★★
Charing Cross Theatre
The new musical Glory Ride is off to a flying start. With a relatively unknown story of heroism to tell, a swelling score, and a high degree of likeability it manages to strike touching emotional notes despite keeping the audience within their comfort zone.
Written by Todd & Victoria Bucholz It’s the story of Gino Bartali, twice winner of the Tour de France, a sporting hero in public he was also a real hero in private. In defiance of the Italian fascists of World War II he used his cycle training and touring as a cover to transport forged papers to those who needed them. Even when the net was closing in Bartali (Josh St.Clair) upped his risk by starting to smuggle people as well as papers. His actions, along with other allies, saved hundreds of Jews and dissenters.
Bartali lost his brother to a road accident when he was growing up. So, taking up cycling as a profession was always going to cause angst with his parents. In order to secure his safe passage around the country he allows the fascists to use his celebrity in their propaganda. His parents, not knowing the true reason for his collaboration, turn their backs on him in disappointment.
Bartali is partly inspired to join the resistance by the charismatic Adriana (Amy Di Bartolemeo). Adriana was also the muse of their mutual friend Mario (Fed Zanni). Mario originally hopes to marry her but the nationalist appeal of the black shirts also attracts him. Losing their friend to the cause they both hate draws Gino and Adriana together.
The pace of the play is a little metronomic at first. There is a long succession of short scenes of similar length. It keeps the momentum and the plot going but means it takes a while to establish the characters. Amy Di Bortolemeo however is immediately impressive. Passion, intelligence, and integrity radiate from her the moment she is on stage. She makes it easy to understand why both Gino and Mario fall for her.
The score has a soft pop-rock familiarity but supports some rousing choruses and several stand-out solos. Each character gets one major solo and for some of the secondary characters, they become real highlights. Particular praise for Giorgio (Daniel Robinson) who plays Gino’s accountant/advisor/manager and the Cardinal (Niall Sheehy) who make you believe a whole other play could be written just focusing on their stories of how they enabled the resistance.
Glory Ride, directed by Kelly Devine, is a straightforward tale of heroism, the horror of fascism, the appeal of nationalism and the emotional conflicts of those who choose between them. It doesn’t dwell as long as it could on the moments of real pathos but this also means it avoids exploitative loitering on that which is obviously horrific. The pace is buoyant and nicely succeeds in energising the audience with emotion rather than draining them.
Review by ANDREW HEBDENQueerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day.
