Originally commissioned and produced by The Bridewell Theatre Company, Drive Ride Walk reflects the vibrancy of London life. A rigorous vocal score for nine singers/actors is combined with dynamic performance, where journeys on foot, by car, tube, and bicycle bring to life the poignancy and humour of intertwined movement across the city. Read some thoughts from Jo Caird of What’sOnStage.com on the show.
Drive Ride Walk has toured around London twice in the last two years, taking in both theatre and non theatre spaces. In March 2009 a 30 minute festival version of the show was seen by over 1500 people over two weeks in a tour which saw it play in venues as diverse as Chrisp Street Ideas Store, St Pancras Station, The Geffrye Museum, St Thomas Hospital and Eltham Sports Centre. This version toured again in 2011, reaching audiences at the O2, The Royal Naval College, Channel 4, Spitalfields Market and accompanied a longer 90 minute show which toured to Greenwich Theatre, Stratford Circus and Jacksons Lane.
Drive: A car with five people – squashed. Rah has just passed his driving test and persuades Mac to let him drive his car. Together with three friends they set off into the mayhem of London’s streets. Using jazz, dynamic Brazilian body percussion and a tongue in cheek homage to “boy band” style, Drive explores the aggression, unhappiness and rage caused by the city car journey.
Ride: An accidental collision between a cycle courier and a pedestrian sets off a series of brief encounters between them during a single day.
Walk: The daily routine of tube, escalators and crossing the bridge gets nine pedestrians to and from their different places of work. As they battle it out for their own piece of pavement they dream of what other life they might be living – no one notices the man who falls over day after day, until he changes the course of their journeys…
The cast for Spring 2011: Abimaro Gunnell, Jon-Paul Hevey, Stuart King, Nathaniel Morrison,Theo Ogundipe, Osnat Schmool, Rebecca Thorn, Nick Trumble and Emi Wokoma
A selection of songs from the show can be found on our MySpace page.
The London 2011 tour was supported by Foyle Foundation, Greenwich Theatre, Jacksons Lane and private donations. The 2009 tour was supported by Arts Council England and the Mayor’s office.
We would like to thank our Drivers, Riders and Walkers for valuing the arts and supporting us in 2011.
