| The Village Bike | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Penelope Skinner |
| Characters | 3 male, 3 female |
| Date premiered | 2011 Royal Court Theatre in London |
| Original language | English |
The Village Bike is a 2011 play by Penelope Skinner which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London[1]. It won the 2011 George Devine Award and received rave reviews and had an extended sell out run.
Contents |
Becky, a newly pregnant school teacher has just moved into the countryside with her husband John. While he has no interest in sex anymore and prefers to read baby books and save the envioronment Becky becomes increasingly frustrated flirting with the plumber Mike. Off work due to the summer holidays and with high rising temperatures Becky decides to get fit buying a bike off the local eccentric Oliver. Despite neighbour Jenny plying the couple with her second hand baby stuff Becky finds herself sexually frustrated and desperate for someone to still view her as an attractive woman. Soon she embarks on a secret affair with him but is determinded not to become attached instead playing out her fantasies from John's old stash of porn films that she has been driven to watching. With Oliver's wife returning though he insists on ending it, realising how attached she now is Becky becomes desperate and John more suspicious. After filming herself having sex with Mike she cycles to Oliver but runs into his wife. Leaving in tears she comes off her bike, not badly hurt but emotionally devastated she takes to her bed. Jenny and John discuss Becky but after John finds a stash of plastic bags that are stuffed in a cupboard by Becky he storms upstairs to have her irresponsibility out with her. Terrified she's been found out they argue but soon realsing John is angry over the plastic bags she gives up, begging him for it just to go back to how it was at the start of the holiday.
Directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins in 2011 at the Royal Court Theatre in London it starred Romola Garai as Becky with the rest of the cast made up of Nicholas Burns, Dominic Rowan, Alexandra Gilbreath, Phil Cornwell. It was a critical and box office success with the show being extended twice.
Winning the George Devine Award[2] in 2011 the play was a critical success, receiving 4 stars in the Telegraph with Dominic Cavendish calling it mercilessly funny – and savagely insightful [3].