fringe: bicycle

Bicycle is a one-woman play by star Danielle Baynes which takes place in the most unusual of locations, the basement tunnels at the Adina Apartment Hotel. Bicycle is high Victorian gothic, female empowerment (and disempowerment) and pedal power all rolled into one intriguing bundle.

And technically Bicycle is a two woman, one violin play...

Descending the stairs to the basement we were serenaded by Pip Dracakis standing at the bottom with her violin, enticing us with her music like the Pied Piper.

The titular bicycle sits covered in a sheet in the tiny space, topped with a bow.

Then Baynes sweeps in, and starts her monologue, bright eyed and bloomer clad as she works herself up to the moment of getting on the bicycle for the first time.

Baynes also does some great character switching, first to the enigmatic count with the familiar name, where her whole posture changes from female to male, along with her voice, then to her character's father.

And as her life begins to unravel, so does the bicycle.

Baynes makes good use of the small space available, as well as the bicycle itself. Lighting designer Matt Ralph also uses the small space well, flooding it with light when needed and dropping back to single colours at just the right moment.

All in all, it's a finely crafted little play, with enough meat on it's bones to satisfy, and a twist in the tale to keep it interesting.

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