Harry Beck created the first diagrammatic London Underground Tube map in 1931.
Opening at the Cubic Theatre in London Transport Museum, on 14 Sep (preview) and running to 10 Nov (not 19 Sep, 27 Sep or 11 Oct), The Truth About Harry Beck is a glimpse inside a journey of passion, a wife’s dedication and the living breathing network of the tunnels and train tracks in our capital.
I caught up with writer/director Andy Burden to find out more about this brand new production.
It was a long time before Harry Beck got recognition for his work on the London Underground map. Why this show, and why now?
The show opens on September 18th, which is 50 years to the day since Harry Beck passed—and this seemed like a significant anniversary to reflect on his legacy.
I was drawn to the idea of the map 16 years ago. Like many people, I understood London through the tube map and started thinking about how the design came into being.
I’ve always been drawn to designs—Concorde being one of my favourites, and when the design of the Concorde won a competition, I learnt the tube map came in second.
I started researching how it was created and how the underground evolved over time. Being a bit of a nerd, I found Harry Beck’s story captivating.
It took me 16 years to write this script, shaped by numerous drafts and revisions. The project finally gained momentum when the Natural Theatre Company embarked on Hidden Heroes, funded by a National Lottery Grant.
The project highlighted individuals who made a significant impact yet remained uncelebrated. So, there was a synergy.
The Ken Garland book is very interesting and exhaustive. Were you about to get his input for your play at all?
Yes! I met him in person. We had a bunch of phone calls, emails, and chats. I even took him out for lunch.
In his book, he talks about Harry Beck’s design ideas and the tension between Beck and Harold Hutchinson, the boss at London Transport, who decided to draw the map himself.
He lent me all these original letters that were exchanged between Beck and the London Transport Museum. On my way back from meeting Ken, I was reading them on the train when the guy next to me asked, “Are those Harry Beck’s letters?” I said, “Yeah, but how do you know who Harry Beck is?”
He told me he was the chief engineer on the Jubilee line. Ken Garland, who wrote the book on the tube map, had mentioned that Beck was a top designer, creating things like the CND symbol.
Ken couldn’t understand why Beck didn’t branch out more, so I asked the guy on the train about it.
His response? Simple—Harry Beck wasn’t a designer. He was a draftsman, an engineer. He just wanted to solve the problem of making the best, most useful map. It’s a schematic, not perfect, and it never will be.
What do you think Harry might have made of the huge expansion of the network in recent times?
He definitely would’ve revisited how to design the map. No question about it. Beck had this idea of expanding the centre of the map and pulling in the outskirts, which had less going on at the time. Of course, there’s so much more now.
He even explored circular designs, and recently, Max Roberts has made headlines for doing the same. Beck also experimented with more flowing designs—I’ve seen some of his original sketches through Ken Garland.
There are a lot of tube map enthusiasts out there creating their own versions, which I think Beck would’ve really appreciated. He came up with the idea of using only straight lines, 90-degree angles, 45-degree angles, and nothing else.
At one point, he even played around with 60-degree angles. So, he’d probably be rethinking it all over again today. After all, he was an engineer at heart.
This is the first time the London Transport Museum’s theatre has been used for a play. Were they keen to collaborate from the start?
Yes, they came to see it. Elizabeth, who was the general manager at the time, attended a preview we did in Bath three years ago, just after COVID. We had a slot at the Theatre Royal, so we gave it a try.
It was one of those situations where everything just clicked. We had connections with London Transport through people on the board of the Natural Theatre Company, and we were renting our studio to Dan Coleman, the producer.
I mentioned the project to him, and he told me he was already in talks with the London Transport Museum. It was one of those happy little coincidences where everything came together.
Elizabeth loved the show, and later, she got promoted to CEO. But for the museum, putting on a play was a bold but exciting move. For us, though, it just made sense.
How would you tempt people who don’t know who Harry Beck is along to see the show?
If they don’t come, I’ll stick them in Oxford Circus at rush hour!
No, it’s more than that. The play is multilayered—it’s about a man’s struggle to be recognised for something simple yet revolutionary.
But it’s also about his wife and their supportive relationship. It’s a very human story. Who was the person behind the map?
If you enjoyed The Dig or A Beautiful Mind, you’ll love this. It’s a gentle, heartfelt piece of drama. Everyone knows a Harry Beck—a person who quietly makes a big impact.
While it offers a glimpse into how the map was created, it’s also a window into that moment in time. And it’s only an hour and five minutes long.