'Beryl' by Maxine Peake - a fitting and fun tribute to Britain's best female cyclist

'Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling' said James E. Starrs and that is so true of the legend that is Beryl Burton and this  dramatic telling of her story by Maxine Peake. Originally commissioned to accompany the Tour de France when it came to Yorkshire, it's fitting that ERT is staging it during the Tour de Yorkshire - which has given ERT every excuse to decorate the theatre in the blue and yellow of the Tour de Yorkshire! It is also fitting that women are being given a bigger profile in the Tour de Yorkshire - although whether any of the elite riders will achieve as much as Beryl Burton remains to be seen. Hopefully, Beryl wasn't a one-off and others will be inspired by this story and perhaps beat Beryl's 12-hour time-trial record which she set in 1967. No. that isn't a misprint - her record has not been broken in 52 years!!! Along with that, she was best British cyclist for 25 years, 5 times world champion (when she didn't win gold, she won silver or bronze) and awarded the MBE then OBE. 

For anyone who has been to ERT, they will know the limitations of the size of the stage and might wonder how you would recreate cycling and cycle racing - but that is the beauty of drama. It is also down to the not inconsiderate talents of the director, Marieke Audsley, the stage manager, Nathan Smith, lighting and sound manager Simon Bedwell, costume designer Sylvia Eales and the four actors, Jessica Duffield, Tom Lorcan, Annie Kirkman and Finlay McGuigan, who become different characters as the story progresses. The actors know each other so well that the ad-libs are (almost) indistinguishable from the script but that makes the story-telling even more real and there are some genuine belly-laughs - Annie Kirkman playing a 'bloke' for example, the birth of the new-born Denise, Tom Lorcan and rice-pudding  and Finlay McGuigan as the Queen!

Beryl Charnock was born in Leeds. She suffered with poor health as a child, including rheumatic fever which put her into hospital for 15 months and left her with a weakened heart. Her doctors, teachers and employers told her she would never succeed at anything, which was her motivation. She took to cycling like a duck to water when she was introduced to Charlie Burton, who she married in 1955. She joined the local cycling club and in 1957, she took silver in a 100-mile time-trial and, despite initial disappointment, was riding for her country within the decade. Beryl was still cycling well into her 50's! 

Beryl's achievements have been largely forgotten but this play seeks to redress that. It is not fair to single out any of the actors but Jessica Duffield as the adult Beryl captures her commitment as a self-funded amateur cyclist (she resisted all approaches of sponsorship), but also as a mother  and housewife showing her true Yorkshire grit.  The play also demonstrates the cameraderie of the cycling community and the way they support each other. In which other sport would your main rival loan you a better bit of kit?

In the same way as cyclists move along at a fast pace, so does this play! There really is no time to stop and reflect because you are onto the next scene. Sadly, Beryl died whilst delivering invitations (by bike, of course) to her 59th birthday party. What a woman, what an inspiration, what a great piece of drama and what a wonderful piece of theatre by ERT's own in-house company. 

The play runs until May 18th. Tickets are selling VERY well and are available here or from ERT in person or on 01482 874050

The photographer is Gavin Prest Photography