Ride: A New Musical
“It’s 1895 and Annie Londonderry has returned victorious to America, hailed as the first woman to ever cycle around the world. She’s pioneering, she’s plucky, and she’s pitching her story to the New York World." Bottlecap Theatre's new musical telling the story of Annie Londonderry filmed live at the Charing Cross Theatre in 2022.
Where to watch
theatrical history
Theatrical History
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In 1894 Annie “Londonderry” Cohen Kopchovsky, at the age of 23, became the first woman to cycle around the world. Over a century later, in 2007, Kopchovsky’s great-grandnephew Peter Zheutlin wrote a history of Annie’s journey - Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry’s Extraordinary Ride. Published by Citadel Press, the book has since been translated into German, Italian, Korean, and Czech. In 2021, Zheutlin released Spin: A Novel Based on a (Mostly) True Story based on his great-aunt's journey.
Around the World on Two Wheels has inspired several creative works including a documentary short entitled The New Woman: Annie "Londonderry" Kopchovsky, a one-woman musical called Spin, an Italian play entitled Per Il Mondo in Bicicletta, and multiple television specials.
In 2012, writers and composers Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams formed Bottle Cap Theatre, a new company dedicated to “creating bold, new, accessible and thought-provoking musical theatre.”
Bottle Cap Theatre’s first work, Part A, explored “the highs and lows of a house party through observational comedy,” and was a sell-out show of the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe.
Part A was followed by The Limit, which told the story of the 18th century mathematician Sophie Germain. The musical premiered at the 2019 VAULT Festival where it won the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work and the People’s Choice Award. In September 2020, an expanded two-act version of The Limit was performed and filmed without an audience during lockdown by MA Music Theatre students at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama under the direction of Adam Lenson. Composer Jack Williams also performed in the band. The film was released in November 2020 for online streaming. The capture was viewed by over 20,000 people.
Inspired by the amazing story of Annie Londonderry, and the woman behind it, Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams decided to write a musical about her extraordinary journey. In November 2019, a short excerpt was presented as part of the Ceiling Project, a musical theatre concert featuring stories about women written by women-led composing teams held at the Bishopsgate Institute in London.
RIDE began as a one-woman show, but was developed into a two-hander when Smith and Williams realized they needed another character to help expose the darker side of Annie Londonderry’s story.
Produced by Bottle Cap Theatre, RIDE: A New Musical first premiered at London’s Vault Festival in March 2020 featuring Amy Parker (Annie) and Amelia Gabriel (Martha) under the direction of Freya Catrin Smith. Adam Lenson (Wasted) served as dramaturg and associate director. The band was comprised of Jack Williams (MD/Guitar), Freya Catrin Smith (Keys), James Pugliese (Bass), and Tim Harvey (Drums). During this first run, the musical included 10 songs.
RIDE won the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work, and was crowned the People’s Choice Winner of the Vault Festival. The musical later won an Offie OFFCOM Award for Festival Show of the Week, and the title song was nominated for the 2020 Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize.
Reviewers were delighted by RIDE and unanimously praised the performances of the cast, the outstanding writing, and noted the show was destined for bigger things. Fabio Ghiotto writing for LondonTheatre1 stated the musical “has qualities worthy of a West End musical,” and review blog Ask the Ushers described it as “quite simply sensational” and “one not to be missed."
This page contains affiliate links and as an associate Filmed Live Musicals may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
In 1894 Annie “Londonderry” Cohen Kopchovsky, at the age of 23, became the first woman to cycle around the world. Over a century later, in 2007, Kopchovsky’s great-grandnephew Peter Zheutlin wrote a history of Annie’s journey - Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry’s Extraordinary Ride. Published by Citadel Press, the book has since been translated into German, Italian, Korean, and Czech. In 2021, Zheutlin released Spin: A Novel Based on a (Mostly) True Story based on his great-aunt's journey.
Around the World on Two Wheels has inspired several creative works including a documentary short entitled The New Woman: Annie "Londonderry" Kopchovsky, a one-woman musical called Spin, an Italian play entitled Per Il Mondo in Bicicletta, and multiple television specials.
In 2012, writers and composers Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams formed Bottle Cap Theatre, a new company dedicated to “creating bold, new, accessible and thought-provoking musical theatre.”
Bottle Cap Theatre’s first work, Part A, explored “the highs and lows of a house party through observational comedy,” and was a sell-out show of the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe.
Part A was followed by The Limit, which told the story of the 18th century mathematician Sophie Germain. The musical premiered at the 2019 VAULT Festival where it won the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work and the People’s Choice Award. In September 2020, an expanded two-act version of The Limit was performed and filmed without an audience during lockdown by MA Music Theatre students at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama under the direction of Adam Lenson. Composer Jack Williams also performed in the band. The film was released in November 2020 for online streaming. The capture was viewed by over 20,000 people.
Inspired by the amazing story of Annie Londonderry, and the woman behind it, Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams decided to write a musical about her extraordinary journey. In November 2019, a short excerpt was presented as part of the Ceiling Project, a musical theatre concert featuring stories about women written by women-led composing teams held at the Bishopsgate Institute in London.
RIDE began as a one-woman show, but was developed into a two-hander when Smith and Williams realized they needed another character to help expose the darker side of Annie Londonderry’s story.
Produced by Bottle Cap Theatre, RIDE: A New Musical first premiered at London’s Vault Festival in March 2020 featuring Amy Parker (Annie) and Amelia Gabriel (Martha) under the direction of Freya Catrin Smith. Adam Lenson (Wasted) served as dramaturg and associate director. The band was comprised of Jack Williams (MD/Guitar), Freya Catrin Smith (Keys), James Pugliese (Bass), and Tim Harvey (Drums). During this first run, the musical included 10 songs.
RIDE won the Origins Award for Outstanding New Work, and was crowned the People’s Choice Winner of the Vault Festival. The musical later won an Offie OFFCOM Award for Festival Show of the Week, and the title song was nominated for the 2020 Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize.
Reviewers were delighted by RIDE and unanimously praised the performances of the cast, the outstanding writing, and noted the show was destined for bigger things. Fabio Ghiotto writing for LondonTheatre1 stated the musical “has qualities worthy of a West End musical,” and review blog Ask the Ushers described it as “quite simply sensational” and “one not to be missed."
Produced by DEM Productions, RIDE played two performances at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End on June 21, 2021. Helmed by the original creative team, with Adam Lenson now billed as co-director, the production featured Gemma Sutton (Annie) and Bronté Barbé (Martha Smith).
The musical was presented as a “public workshop production,” and was performed semi-staged with script-in-hand. Adam Lenson noted that the production was intentionally shared in the workshop stage as a way to make the process of creating a new musical more transparent to the public.
Full orchestrations were recorded by the newly formed Broadway Sinfonietta in New York, an all female-identifying, majority women-of-color orchestral collective showcasing the excellence of BIPOC women musicians on Broadway and beyond.
Songs included “World’s Greatest Story,” “Ride,” “The Wager,” “Across America,” “On Board,” “Everybody Loves a Lie,” “By My Side,” “The Charmed Existence of Fred Rose,” “Miles Away from Boston,” “Stranger,” “Out of Time,” and “Ride the Moment.”
The Garrick Theatre workshop production was filmed live and made available to stream on demand via stream.theatre from July 26 until August 21, 2021. For more information see RIDE (workshop).
In December 2021, writers Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams were nominated for the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Musical Theatre Bookwriting.
A full production of RIDE was mounted at London’s Charing Cross Theatre for a limited run in August 2022. See Filmed Production Notes below.
According to the DEM Productions website, a cast recording is “coming soon.”
The musical was presented as a “public workshop production,” and was performed semi-staged with script-in-hand. Adam Lenson noted that the production was intentionally shared in the workshop stage as a way to make the process of creating a new musical more transparent to the public.
Full orchestrations were recorded by the newly formed Broadway Sinfonietta in New York, an all female-identifying, majority women-of-color orchestral collective showcasing the excellence of BIPOC women musicians on Broadway and beyond.
Songs included “World’s Greatest Story,” “Ride,” “The Wager,” “Across America,” “On Board,” “Everybody Loves a Lie,” “By My Side,” “The Charmed Existence of Fred Rose,” “Miles Away from Boston,” “Stranger,” “Out of Time,” and “Ride the Moment.”
The Garrick Theatre workshop production was filmed live and made available to stream on demand via stream.theatre from July 26 until August 21, 2021. For more information see RIDE (workshop).
In December 2021, writers Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams were nominated for the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Musical Theatre Bookwriting.
A full production of RIDE was mounted at London’s Charing Cross Theatre for a limited run in August 2022. See Filmed Production Notes below.
According to the DEM Productions website, a cast recording is “coming soon.”
Film history
Film History
RIDE had its official world premier at the Charing Cross Theatre on August 25, 2022. The production was directed by Sarah Meadow, with musical direction by Sam Young, movement direction by Natasha Harrison, scenic and costume design by Amy Jane Cook, lighting design by Jamie Platt, and sound design by Andrew Johnson. As with the Garrick Theatre workshop production, the orchestrations and orchestra recording were provided by Macy Schmidt and the Broadway Sinfonietta.
RIDE had its official world premier at the Charing Cross Theatre on August 25, 2022. The production was directed by Sarah Meadow, with musical direction by Sam Young, movement direction by Natasha Harrison, scenic and costume design by Amy Jane Cook, lighting design by Jamie Platt, and sound design by Andrew Johnson. As with the Garrick Theatre workshop production, the orchestrations and orchestra recording were provided by Macy Schmidt and the Broadway Sinfonietta.
The cast featured two young performers fresh out of drama school — Liv Andrusier from the Royal Academy of Music as Annie Londonderry, and Yuki Sutton from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as Martha. Amy Parker was cast as the Annie alternate and cover for Martha. Andrusier was the 1st cover to Jo March in the Park Theatre production of Little Women which was filmed live in December 2021, and also played one of the youngest Lovely Ladies in the movie musical version of Les Miserables.
Following the September 6th performance, a post-show discussion entitled 'Women In Sport, Then And Now,' was hosted by Helen Pankhurst with guests Carrie Dunn, Olivia Munk and Jack Williams.
The show received universal rave reviews, with critics enthusing it was an exceptional and rare musical not to be missed. Critics particularly praised Sarah Meadow’s direction, Smith and Williams’ score and lyrics, Amy Jane Cook’s set and costume designs, and the”firebrand” performances by Liv Andrusier and Yuki Sutton. Several critics also hoped for bigger things for the musical’s future.
In a review for Once a Week Theatre, Edward Lukes described the lyrics as “smart, unshowy, thought provoking and easy on the ear,” and stated that “The sense of potential for the production is exciting.” Writing for Theatre Weekly, Nicole Barrett noted that although the musical was a two-hander, it “packs a massive punch,” and concluded “This is an amazing piece of theatre and a must-watch for everyone.” Alun Hood in Whats On Stage stated it was “a pleasure to encounter such a bracingly original, exquisitely crafted and generally delightful piece” and “this is a lovely, life-enhancing chamber musical, in a sublime production.” Sarah McPartlan for Musical Theatre Musings (who had reviewed the first incarnation of the musical at the Vault Festival in 2020 and foresaw “this powerhouse show going a lot further in its future,”) extolled RIDE as “a rarity, a new musical that ticks literally all of the boxes that you could want.”
Craig Glenday, in a five star review for Musical Theatre Review, extolled the creative team for staging a multi-facted story that bought the complex Annie Londonderry to life. Glenday was ecstatic about the two-hander cast, noting “Andrusier… is a fizzing rocket of a performer, utterly in control of the show and demanding every lumen of the spotlight she and her creation deserve…Pretty much the same can be said of co-star Sutton.” Glenday also applauded the band under the direction of Sam Young and “Whatever voodoo this lot used to achieve the precision timing with pre-records…”
RIDE was nominated for multiple awards including six Offie Awards and a WhatsOnStage Award.
On September 13, 2022, RIDE was filmed live at the Charing Cross Theatre by Stream.Theatre.
RIDE is currently available to stream on Broadway on Demand.
Following the September 6th performance, a post-show discussion entitled 'Women In Sport, Then And Now,' was hosted by Helen Pankhurst with guests Carrie Dunn, Olivia Munk and Jack Williams.
The show received universal rave reviews, with critics enthusing it was an exceptional and rare musical not to be missed. Critics particularly praised Sarah Meadow’s direction, Smith and Williams’ score and lyrics, Amy Jane Cook’s set and costume designs, and the”firebrand” performances by Liv Andrusier and Yuki Sutton. Several critics also hoped for bigger things for the musical’s future.
In a review for Once a Week Theatre, Edward Lukes described the lyrics as “smart, unshowy, thought provoking and easy on the ear,” and stated that “The sense of potential for the production is exciting.” Writing for Theatre Weekly, Nicole Barrett noted that although the musical was a two-hander, it “packs a massive punch,” and concluded “This is an amazing piece of theatre and a must-watch for everyone.” Alun Hood in Whats On Stage stated it was “a pleasure to encounter such a bracingly original, exquisitely crafted and generally delightful piece” and “this is a lovely, life-enhancing chamber musical, in a sublime production.” Sarah McPartlan for Musical Theatre Musings (who had reviewed the first incarnation of the musical at the Vault Festival in 2020 and foresaw “this powerhouse show going a lot further in its future,”) extolled RIDE as “a rarity, a new musical that ticks literally all of the boxes that you could want.”
Craig Glenday, in a five star review for Musical Theatre Review, extolled the creative team for staging a multi-facted story that bought the complex Annie Londonderry to life. Glenday was ecstatic about the two-hander cast, noting “Andrusier… is a fizzing rocket of a performer, utterly in control of the show and demanding every lumen of the spotlight she and her creation deserve…Pretty much the same can be said of co-star Sutton.” Glenday also applauded the band under the direction of Sam Young and “Whatever voodoo this lot used to achieve the precision timing with pre-records…”
RIDE was nominated for multiple awards including six Offie Awards and a WhatsOnStage Award.
On September 13, 2022, RIDE was filmed live at the Charing Cross Theatre by Stream.Theatre.
RIDE is currently available to stream on Broadway on Demand.
cast & creative credits
Cast & Creative Credits
Theatre: Charing Cross Theatre, London
Producer: DEM Productions - Ramin Sabi (Executive Producer), Emily Lunnon (Producer & General Manager)
Book, Music, and Lyrics: Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams
Director: Sarah Meadows
Musical Director: Sam Young
Orchestrations: Macy Schmidt
Movement Director: Natasha Harrison
Scenic and Costume Design: Amy Jane Cook
Lighting Design: Jamie Platt
Sound Design: Andrew Johnson
Illusion Designer: John Bulleid
Dialect Coach: Caitlin Stegmoller and Rebecca Gausnell
Stage Manager: Tamasin Cook
Video Production
Videography and Film Editor: Julia Froud for Stream.Theatre
Camera Operators: Rich Southgate and Conor Carroll
1st Assistant Camera: Israel Wilson
Sound Mixing: Andrew Johnson and Ben Robbins
Associate Director: Oliva Munk
Associate Lighting Designer: Jo Underwood
Costume Supervisor: Jo Lewis
Hair Consultant: Chris Coles
Illusion Associate: Gareth Kaylan
Development Director: Adam Lenson
Development Choreographer: Alfred Taylor-Gaunt
Production Manager: James Anderton
Cast: Liv Andrusier (Annie Londonderry), Yuki Sutton (Martha and Others)
Live Band: Sam Young (piano), Frankie South (guitar). Alex Maxted (percussion)
Pre-recorded orchestra provided by the Broadway Sinfonietta
Recording Producer: Macy Schmidt
Recording Co-Producer: Emily Marshall
Recording Engineer: Nolan Thies for The Bunker Studio, NYC
Copyists: Geoffrey Ko, Noah Teplin
Players: Julia Adamy (Bass), Amanda Lo (Violin), Katie Jacoby (Violin), Chiara Fasi (Violin), Laura Sacks (Viola), Susan Madel (Cello), Emily Pecorano (Reed 1), Nicole Demaio (Reed 2), Adrienne Baker (Flute), Kyra Sims (French Horn), Sara Jacovino (Trombone)
Theatre: Charing Cross Theatre, London
Producer: DEM Productions - Ramin Sabi (Executive Producer), Emily Lunnon (Producer & General Manager)
Book, Music, and Lyrics: Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams
Director: Sarah Meadows
Musical Director: Sam Young
Orchestrations: Macy Schmidt
Movement Director: Natasha Harrison
Scenic and Costume Design: Amy Jane Cook
Lighting Design: Jamie Platt
Sound Design: Andrew Johnson
Illusion Designer: John Bulleid
Dialect Coach: Caitlin Stegmoller and Rebecca Gausnell
Stage Manager: Tamasin Cook
Video Production
Videography and Film Editor: Julia Froud for Stream.Theatre
Camera Operators: Rich Southgate and Conor Carroll
1st Assistant Camera: Israel Wilson
Sound Mixing: Andrew Johnson and Ben Robbins
Associate Director: Oliva Munk
Associate Lighting Designer: Jo Underwood
Costume Supervisor: Jo Lewis
Hair Consultant: Chris Coles
Illusion Associate: Gareth Kaylan
Development Director: Adam Lenson
Development Choreographer: Alfred Taylor-Gaunt
Production Manager: James Anderton
Cast: Liv Andrusier (Annie Londonderry), Yuki Sutton (Martha and Others)
Live Band: Sam Young (piano), Frankie South (guitar). Alex Maxted (percussion)
Pre-recorded orchestra provided by the Broadway Sinfonietta
Recording Producer: Macy Schmidt
Recording Co-Producer: Emily Marshall
Recording Engineer: Nolan Thies for The Bunker Studio, NYC
Copyists: Geoffrey Ko, Noah Teplin
Players: Julia Adamy (Bass), Amanda Lo (Violin), Katie Jacoby (Violin), Chiara Fasi (Violin), Laura Sacks (Viola), Susan Madel (Cello), Emily Pecorano (Reed 1), Nicole Demaio (Reed 2), Adrienne Baker (Flute), Kyra Sims (French Horn), Sara Jacovino (Trombone)
awards & nominations
Awards Nominations and Wins
Offie Awards
WhatsOnStage Awards
Offie Awards
- Production (Musicals)
- Director (Musical) - Sarah Meadows
- Musical Direction - Sam Young
- Set Design - Amy Jane Cook
- Supporting Performance in a Musical - Yuki Sutton (winner)
- Lead Performance in a Musical (winner)
WhatsOnStage Awards
- Best Regional Production
Podcast
Listen to episodes 31 and 59 of the Filmed Live Musicals podcast to hear about the process of writing and filming the musical with composers Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams. Episode 31 was recorded following the Garrick Theatre workshop, and Episode 59 was recorded shortly after the release of the world premier on Broadway on Demand.
Research sources
Books
Articles
Websites
- Peter Zheutlin, Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry’s Extraordinary Ride, Citadel Press (2007)
Articles
- Nicola Barrett, “Review: Ride at Charing Cross Theatre,” Theatre Weekly (Aug 31, 2022)
- Theo Bosanquet, “Exclusive: Ride musical to play two West End performances,” WhatsOnStage (May 27, 2021)
- Editorial Staff, “Watch new musical Ride in rehearsals ahead of West End performances,” WhatsOnStage (June 15, 2021)
- Ian Foster, “Review: Ride, VAULT Festival,” There Ought to Be Clowns (March 5, 2020)
- Craig Glenday, “Ride – Charing Cross Theatre,” Musical Theatre Review (Sept 1, 2022)
- Fabio Ghiotto, “Ride by Bottle Cap Theatre at the Vault Festival | Review,” LondonTheatre1 (March 9, 2020)
- Alun Hood, “Ride at Charing Cross Theatre — Review” Whats On Stage (Sept 1, 2022)
- Edward Lukes, ““RIDE” AT CHARING CROSS THEATRE,” Once a Week Theatre (Sept 1, 2022)
- Sarah McPartlan, “RIDE AT VAULT FESTIVAL,” Musical Theatre Musings (March 7, 2020)
- Sarah McPartlan, “RIDE AT CHARING CROSS THEATRE,” Musical Theatre Musings (Sept 1, 2022)
- Chris Omaweng, “RIDE at Charing Cross Theatre | Review,” London Theatre 1 (Sept 1, 2022)
- Angela Thomas, “Gemma Sutton & Bronté Barbé to feature in London performances of new musical Ride,” Musical Theatre Review (May 30, 2021)
- Uncredited, “Review: RIDE: a new musical, Forge (Vault Festival),” Ask The Ushers (March 5, 2020)
- Uncredited, “REVIEW: RIDE, Bottle Cap Theatre (Forge, VAULT Festival)” The Family Stage (March 10, 2020)
- Uncredited, “Writers’ Guild Awards shortlists,” Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (undated)
- Paul Vale, “Ride review,” The Stage (Sept 1, 2022)
- Clare Walters, “Ride – Vault Festival,” Musical Theatre Review (March 9, 2020)
Websites
- Annie Londonderry, “About Peter Zheutlin,” Accessed via: https://annielondonderry.com/about-peter-zheutlin/
- Bottle Cap Theatre, Accessed via: https://www.bottlecaptheatre.com/
- The Broadway Sinfonietta, Accessed via: https://www.thebroadwaysinfonietta.com/
- Charing Cross Theatre, “RIDE - A New Musical,” Accessed via: https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/ride
- DEM Productions, “RIDE - Digital Programme,” https://www.demproductions.co.uk/ride-digital-programme
- DEM Productions, “Current Productions: RIDE,” Accessed via: https://www.demproductions.co.uk/copy-of-current-productions-2
- DEM Productions, “RIDE,” Accessed via: https://www.demproductions.co.uk/ride
- Facebook, “Event: Chapter One: She, The Storyteller first showing,” Accessed via: https://www.facebook.com/events/1452781198220736/?ref=newsfeed
- Inter Talent Group, “Liv Andrusier,” Accessed via: https://www.intertalentgroup.com/client/liv-andrusier/
- Nimax Theatres, “RIDE,” Accessed via: https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/shows/ride/
- OFFIES, “2023 Nominations, Finalists and Winners,” Accessed via: https://offies.london/2023-nominations-finalists-and-winners/
- Somewhat Awkward, “The Ceiling Project,” Accessed via: https://web.archive.org/web/20200927042923/http://somewhatawkward.co/theceilingproject/
Written by Luisa Lyons (February, 2023)