It’s 1895 and Annie Londonderry has returned victorious to America, hailed as the first woman ever to cycle around the world. She’s pioneering, she’s plucky, and she’s pitching her story to the men who run the newspapers.
From the infamous wager that set her journey in motion, to her freewheeling adventures with captains, cowboys, and customs officials, Annie just knows her tales will spin readers into a frenzy. But as she approaches rough terrain, and unexpected paths throw her off balance, can Annie regain her footing, or will she confront the past she left behind?
This new musical – Ride – by Freya Catrin Smith and Jack Williams, directed by Sarah Meadows, charts one woman’s radical act and explores the lies we tell to escape ourselves.
Liv Andrusier (Annie Londonderry) is a 2021 graduate from the Royal Academy of Music. During the pandemic, Liv was selected to star in the ‘Play In A Day’ initiative for Sky Arts, produced by Young Vic Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah and filmed at Alexandra Palace. This gave two recent graduates the chance to rehearse and perform a new play – in a single day – alongside Maria Friedman and Tyrone Huntley.
Yuki Sutton (Martha) graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2021.
Amy Parker (Alternate Annie / Cover Martha) trained at Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance and The Royal Academy of Music, where she received the Ian Fleming award and a full Elton John scholarship. Theatre credits include ‘Tokyo Rose’ (UK tour, including MAST Southampton and Southwark Playhouse); ‘Ride’ (Vaults Festival); Nat in ‘Dancing By Myself’ (King’s Head Theatre) and The Actress in ‘Hello Again’ (Union Theatre).
RIDE was nominated for the Best Musical Theatre Book Writing in the 2022 Writers Guild Awards. An earlier try-out was named VAULT Festival Show of the Week and won an Off West End OFFCOM Award. The title song was nominated for the 2020 Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Prize.
Freya Catrin Smith is an award-winning composer and lyricist, focusing on telling female-led stories. Her work with writing partner Jack Williams (as Bottle Cap Theatre) includes RIDE (VAULT Festival sell out and award winner 2020); THE LIMIT (VAULT Festival sell out and award winner 2019), and song-cycle PART A (Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show). In 2021 Freya was a joint winner of The Chamber Musical Price developed by Adam Lenson and Katy Lipson and she was awarded a prestigious MGC Futures Bursary.
Jack Williams is an award-winning composer and lyricist. His musicals, co-written with Freya Smith, include RIDE (winner of VAULT Festival’s Show of the Week Award), THE LIMIT (winner of VAULT Festival’s People’s Choice Award and Origins Award for Outstanding New Work) and PART A (Edinburgh Fringe Festival sell-out show). He was a finalist for the Cameron Mackintosh Composer Residency, the Stiles & Drewe Best New Song Prize and the MTI Mentorship Award. In 2021, Jack was a joint winner of The Chamber Musical Prize developed by Adam Lenson and Katy Lipson.
Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London, WC2N 6NL from 25tn August – 17th September. Times: Monday – Saturday 7.30pm; Wednesday & Saturday matinee 2.30pm. Admission: From £18 – £38.
Booking: www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk – 08444 930650
There is a £2.50 booking fee charged per ticket on phone and internet orders, and 50p restoration levy charged on all tickets. Box office at venue open to personal callers from two hours before the curtain time for every performance.
