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RIDE: A New Musical
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Stage Production Notes
A new musical about Annie Londonderry, the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle. 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. But she can’t do it alone. Joined at the eleventh hour by unwitting secretary Martha Smith, the two begin to share Annie’s unbelievable adventures. But before long, the cracks begin to show, and Annie is forced to confront a past she’d rather leave unexplored.
In 1894, at the age of 23, Annie “Londonderry” Cohen Kopchovsky became the first woman to cycle around the world. Peter Zheutlin, Annie's great-grandnephew, wrote a history of her journey entitled Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry’s Extraordinary Ride which was published by Citadel Press in 2007. The book has since been translated into German, Italian, Korean, and Czech.
The story of Annie Londonderry has inspired a documentary, The New Woman, a Canadian one-woman musical Spin, a soon-to-be-produced Italian play Per Il Mondo in Bicicletta, and multiple television specials.
In 2012, British 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.”
Following on from Part A, The Suicide Shop, and The Limit, RIDE was Bottle Cap’s fourth production. It began as a one-woman show, and 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).
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, 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.”
A new musical about Annie Londonderry, the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle. 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. But she can’t do it alone. Joined at the eleventh hour by unwitting secretary Martha Smith, the two begin to share Annie’s unbelievable adventures. But before long, the cracks begin to show, and Annie is forced to confront a past she’d rather leave unexplored.
In 1894, at the age of 23, Annie “Londonderry” Cohen Kopchovsky became the first woman to cycle around the world. Peter Zheutlin, Annie's great-grandnephew, wrote a history of her journey entitled Around the World on Two Wheels: Annie Londonderry’s Extraordinary Ride which was published by Citadel Press in 2007. The book has since been translated into German, Italian, Korean, and Czech.
The story of Annie Londonderry has inspired a documentary, The New Woman, a Canadian one-woman musical Spin, a soon-to-be-produced Italian play Per Il Mondo in Bicicletta, and multiple television specials.
In 2012, British 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.”
Following on from Part A, The Suicide Shop, and The Limit, RIDE was Bottle Cap’s fourth production. It began as a one-woman show, and 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).
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, 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,” semi-staged and occasionally with script-in-hand. Adam Lenson noted that the production was intentionally shared in the workshop stages 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.”
A full production of RIDE: A New Musical premiered at the Charing Cross Theatre on August 25, 2022. It was also filmed live and is currently available to stream on Broadway on Demand. See RIDE: A New Musical for more information.
The musical was presented as a “public workshop production,” semi-staged and occasionally with script-in-hand. Adam Lenson noted that the production was intentionally shared in the workshop stages 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.”
A full production of RIDE: A New Musical premiered at the Charing Cross Theatre on August 25, 2022. It was also filmed live and is currently available to stream on Broadway on Demand. See RIDE: A New Musical for more information.
Filmed Production Notes
RIDE was filmed live during its run at the Garrick Theatre.
From July 22 - 25, the stream was available each night at 7.30pm GMT. From July 26 until August 21, 2021, the stream was made available on demand. Tickets were £13 GBP.
A digital program was made available for free via DEM Productions.
RIDE was available to view on demand from August 26 until September 21, 2021 via stream.theatre.
RIDE was filmed live during its run at the Garrick Theatre.
From July 22 - 25, the stream was available each night at 7.30pm GMT. From July 26 until August 21, 2021, the stream was made available on demand. Tickets were £13 GBP.
A digital program was made available for free via DEM Productions.
RIDE was available to view on demand from August 26 until September 21, 2021 via stream.theatre.
RIDE: A New Musical PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Garrick Theatre, London
Producer: Ramin Sabi for DEM Productions
Book and Lyrics: Freya Catrin Smith
Music and Lyrics: Jack Williams
Co-Directors: Freya Catrin Smith and Adam Lenson
Musical Director: Jordan Paul Clarke
Orchestrations: Macy Schmidt
Choreography: Alfred Taylor Gaunt
Scenic and Costume Design: Libby Todd
Lighting Design: Sam Waddington
Sound Design: Emma Laxton
Stage Manager: Abbii Clark
Cast:
Gemma Sutton (Annie Londonderry), Bronté Barbé (Martha Smith)
Band:
Jordan Paul Clarke (piano), Amy Shaw (Guitar), Calie Hough (Percussion)
Recording Artists:
Macy Schmidt (Recording Producer), Emily Marshall (Recording Producer & Piano), Megan Talay (Guitar), Julia Adamy (Bass)
Elena Bonomo (Percussion), Katie Jacoby (Violin 1), Chiara Fasi (Violin 2), Laura Sacks (Viola), Susan Mandel (Cello), Emily Pecoraro (Reed 1), Nicole Demaio (Reed 2), Adrienne Baker (Flute), Kyra Sims (French Horn), Sara Jacovino (Trombone), Nolan Thies (Recording Engineer), Jack Chown (Mixing Engineer), Geoffrey Ko (Copyist)
Theatre: Garrick Theatre, London
Producer: Ramin Sabi for DEM Productions
Book and Lyrics: Freya Catrin Smith
Music and Lyrics: Jack Williams
Co-Directors: Freya Catrin Smith and Adam Lenson
Musical Director: Jordan Paul Clarke
Orchestrations: Macy Schmidt
Choreography: Alfred Taylor Gaunt
Scenic and Costume Design: Libby Todd
Lighting Design: Sam Waddington
Sound Design: Emma Laxton
Stage Manager: Abbii Clark
Cast:
Gemma Sutton (Annie Londonderry), Bronté Barbé (Martha Smith)
Band:
Jordan Paul Clarke (piano), Amy Shaw (Guitar), Calie Hough (Percussion)
Recording Artists:
Macy Schmidt (Recording Producer), Emily Marshall (Recording Producer & Piano), Megan Talay (Guitar), Julia Adamy (Bass)
Elena Bonomo (Percussion), Katie Jacoby (Violin 1), Chiara Fasi (Violin 2), Laura Sacks (Viola), Susan Mandel (Cello), Emily Pecoraro (Reed 1), Nicole Demaio (Reed 2), Adrienne Baker (Flute), Kyra Sims (French Horn), Sara Jacovino (Trombone), Nolan Thies (Recording Engineer), Jack Chown (Mixing Engineer), Geoffrey Ko (Copyist)
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.
Sources
Articles
Websites
- 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)
- Fabio Ghiotto, “Ride by Bottle Cap Theatre at the Vault Festival | Review,” LondonTheatre1 (March 9, 2020)
- Sarah McPartlan, “RIDE AT VAULT FESTIVAL,” Musical Theatre Musings (March 7, 2020)
- 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)
- Clare Walters, “Ride – Vault Festival,” Musical Theatre Review (March 9, 2020)
Websites
- Bottle Cap Theatre, Accessed via: https://www.bottlecaptheatre.com/
- The Broadway Sinfonietta, Accessed via: https://www.thebroadwaysinfonietta.com/
- Nimax Theatres, “RIDE,” Accessed via: https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/shows/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
Written by Luisa Lyons (Aug, 2021; updated Feb 2023)