Beryl

Despite being one of the most successful British sportswomen of all time, the name of Beryl Burton will be unknown to most people, but her story is one which is worth telling.

Maxine Peake picked up the challenge, in 2012, by writing a radio play about Beryl’s life and this has now transferred to stage. The Oldham Coliseum has certainly come up trumps with this brilliant production of her fascinating story, told in a heart-warming blend of comedy and emotional pathos.

The excellent cast of four actors keep the audience enthralled from the first scene to the final curtain, as they romp through the life of this unsung Yorkshire woman who took up cycling as a casual hobby and went on to be one of the great cycling champions of all time.

Each of the actors anchors a central character but also portrays a myriad of minor characters. The consummate way in which they switch between roles is a joy to behold. One minute an interfering mother-in-law, the next minute a German bellboy with a dodgy German accent, followed swiftly by a long distance cyclist. You get the idea. It’s all delivered in an hilarious way which keeps the audience laughing from start to finish.

The quartet of Elizabeth Twells (Beryl), James Lewis (hubby Charlie), Tori Burgess (daughter Denise) and Charlie Ryan are a superb team, interacting seamlessly with each other. Despite having to undertake some serious bouts of cycling and spinning, they obviously enjoy themselves tremendously and no doubt they’ll all be in peak fitness by the end of the play’s run.

A big shout out to the Director, Chris Lawson and his team for coming up with a clever, highly imaginative set, with the help of the brilliant charity, Streetbikes.

So, our strong recommendation is to get on yer bikes down to the Coliseum before this heartwarming show closes on 21^st May. You won’t regret it!