Printable CopyBICYCLE
Adina Grand Treasury Adelaide
Until 03 Mar 2016

Review by Talia Gaertner-Jones

Danielle Baynes needs to be commended for her original one woman play and performance in “Bicycle”.

The historic tunnels of the Adina Apartment Hotel provide the perfect setting for this play. They are dusty and rustic and provide an intimate atmosphere for this gothic play. Baynes plays the part of an insecure woman who is given a bicycle as a gift by a mysterious gentleman (a Count), with whom she has fallen in love after just one meeting. With only the experience of riding her horse side saddle, she dons a pair of bloomers and carefully jumps on board the much smaller bike saddle, riding off in search of her true love’s home. After falling off her bicycle and frantically getting out of the woods, she finds the Count’s castle before her.

Once the play moves to the castle, Baynes portrays both the Count and woman, in a constant struggle between two worlds. Baynes’ conversation between the two characters is quick and consistent. She has the ability to change rapidly between postures and accents. The character of the woman transforms from timid to outgoing, from mortal to immortal and the audience is captured with every movement and every word. Baynes has done well performing in such a small space, using the minimal room to her advantage.

Adding to the atmosphere are the hauntingly beautiful sounds from the violin played by Pip Dracakis and the minimal, yet extremely effective, lighting by Matt Ralph. Director Michael Dean has done an excellent job in this one-woman play; the storyline may be dark for some, but it is definitely one to put on the list.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)