Cadel Evans was the first Australian cyclist to win the Tour de France in 2011, when he was 34. His story inspired Connor Delves to co-write and perform Cadel: Lungs on Legs, an hour in which he chronicles the ups and downs of Evans’s life up to that point.
Now taking up residence at London’s Riverside Studios until mid-November, Cadel arrives with a slew of positive critical and audience reviews. It is one man, a bike – or several bikes – and a screen.
It brings sport and theatre together in quite a niche story of an athlete who refused to give up on his dream. We hear about his fascination with riding a bike through the Australian bushland where he was raised.
Delves pedals for the majority of the show, recreating races and telling us what happened each time Evans came in second, or how injuries both mid-race and outside impacted on his ability to head out in front of the pack.
The screen shows ‘home video’ and capture of the actor riding as if in the real race. Phil Liggett, noted cycling commentator, introduces the show in voiceover as “pretty special” and his commentary alongside the late Paul Sherwen adds to the screen recreations of the races.
We watch as Evans speeds over terrain in his home country, then takes the trip to Europe – intense training and development teams. His coach, Aldo Sassi, always has faith when it fails the athlete himself.
Delves also adds a self-deprecating humour along with the steel that gave Cadel Evans the nickname “lungs on legs”. My husband, a cycling fan, came along and enthused on the way home that he almost believed he was watching Evans himself up there.
This show has clear appeal to cyclists and those who follow the sport – but also to those who like stories about humanity itself, and personal endurance. It is informative, entertaining, charming and inspirational.
Cadel Evans might not have fought through a life-limiting illness, or financial ruin, or a toxic personal life. There were none of the clichés that raise their head in some biographical stories out there. This man simply lived to win, and win cleanly, in a sport blighted by drug cheats at that time.
The mountain biker turned endurance rider is a good enough story in itself, and presenting it on a static bike with just an occasional revolve works extremely well. Mecca Christy as on-stage ASM also deserves praise in keeping Delves safe and interacting at key points.
Co-writer Steve McMahon and director/dramaturg Mark Barford are to be commended for working with Delves to bring his vision to the stage. All three clearly ‘get’ Evans, his motivation, and his moment in the spotlight.
Evans himself puts it this way in the show programme: “I have always been well aware of the drama, thrill and often suspense of cycling, but now, I get to see my sport as an art form. It has been a privilege and an honor to entertain the spectators and followers of cycling as an athlete in competition, and I’m excited for them—and those new to the sport—to experience the drama, effort, unpredictability, and suspense of major races in a completely new way.”
It’s the attention to detail that makes Cadel such a thrilling and successful show. Lauren Cochrane’s video design, Nate Edmondson’s sound and composition, and Mitchell Fenton’s lighting all add atmosphere, energy and realism to the story.
I’m giving this 5*.
Cadel: Lungs on Legs continues at Riverside Studios until 15 Nov.
Photo credit: Kyle Dax Smith