Exhilarating Olympic Themed Theatre
“He who honours God, will himself be honoured. “
Note handed to Liddell before the race by an American competitor
How thrilling to once again see Chariots of Fire live on stage. This time it is on in Sheffield, at the Crucible, directed by Robert Hastie, who will be joining the National Theatre in January as Deputy Artistic Director. It coincides this year with the centenary of the Paris Olympics in 1924 when Harold Abrahams (Adam Bregman) and Eric Liddell (Michael Wallace) both won gold in the athletics.
I loved Edward Hall’s production at Hampstead in 2012 and was not disappointed by the Sheffield showing of Mike Bartlett’s wonderful play. My hope is that it may transfer to the National’s Olivier so I may see it again. The play starts with athletes on various items of running machines as we scroll from 2024 back through the Olympic cities and years in relevant running kit to Paris in 1924. The message is of the hard work that goes into training for competition at Olympic level.
We switch to the University of Cambridge where Harold Abrahams meets fellow first year Aubrey Montague (Tom Glenister) and Lord Andrew Lindsay (Benjamin Westerby) starting their first term at Gonville and Caius. Abrahams is to compete for the Trinity Great Court run in the time taken for the clock to strike twelve. Factually it was actually Lord Burleigh of Magdalene College who completed the Great Court Run in 1927 but he didn’t allow his name to be used because he objected to the artistic licence in the 1981 film allowing Abrahams to win. So Lord Lindsay is based on Burleigh.
The races are staged different ways, sometimes on running machines and sometimes around a track into the audience and sometimes in slow motion. This is an enormous achievement for these fit actors as it was for Jack Lowden and James McArdle at Hampstead Theatre in 2012. A hundred meters is run in slow motion with each athlete recording the seconds.
We go to Scotland to see Eric Liddell and his sister Jennie (Lois Pearson) establishing their missionary background and the importance of observing the Sabbath.
I think this might be the fourth time at the Highland athletic event that I spotted Mark Lockyer in one of his eight cameo roles. Here he is a bystander in a tam o’ shanter and long kilt. Previously he was a porter at Caius commenting on Abraham’s not singing in the chapel choir, then elevated to the Master of Trinity again making snide comments about Abrahams’ Jewishness. And in the scene where Sybil Evers (Bessie Ewa) is in The Pirates of Penzance he is in charge of the ship’s wheel. Lockyer has a large role near the end as Lord Cadogan in the meeting of the British Olympic Committee to decide what to do about Liddell’s refusal to compete on a Sunday. Also as Master of Trinity he has made a moving speech about those lost in First World War, such a recent conflict. Lockyer’s cameos are so enjoyable and his performances are a masterclass in character acting and his costume changes must be hectic!
There is controversy when Harold Abrahams is approached by a professional trainer Sam Mussabini (Waleed Elgadi) and his amateur status is questioned. Act One closes with Lord Lindsay’s hurdle feat with the champagne glasses; Leo Wan as his butler loses out on the vintage champagne.
We catch the boat to France and the opening of the Olympics sees the inspiring parade of different flags and uniforms. The Americans, Charlie Paddock (Seb Slade) and Jackson Scholz (Eddie-Joe Robinson) perform state of the art press ups racking up the tension as to the likelihood of their win against Great Britain.
The performances are strong throughout and I especially liked Michael Wallace’s earnest Liddell arguing with his sister about the importance of athletics to him. Adam Bregman is also excellent in showing Harold Abrahams’ determination to succeed.
Ben Stones’ costumes sometimes will use period jackets and tops with shorts and running shoes ready for the thrilling races and together with the period music the era is well conveyed and makes me nostalgic.
Chariots of Fire is a five star, gold medal winning experience from Theatrevibe the site that does neither stars nor medals!
For me Chariots of Fire has a special meaning. My children and their great great uncle went to the school, then The School for the Sons and Orphans of Missionaries in Blackheath, now Eltham College where Eric Liddell was educated from age 6 to 18 as a boarder while his parents were in China, along with those boys whose parents were missionaries in the far flung outposts of the British Empire. Eric Liddell, married Florence Mackenzie, and himself became a missionary in China and died interned at the end of the Second World War. Harold Abrahams married mezzo-soprano Sybil Evers and forged himself a career in sport and worked as an athletics journalist. Harold Abrahams was the timekeeper for Roger Bannister’s first sub 4 minute mile in 1954.
Production Notes
Chariots of Fire
Adapted by Mike Bartlett after Colin Welland’s screenplay for the 1981 film
Directed by Robert Hastie
Cast
Starring:
Adam Bregman
Eddie-Joe Robinson
Leo Wan
Mark Lockyer
Michael Wallace
Richard Cant
Sally Frith
Waleed Elgadi
Chanel Waddock
Benjamin Westerby
Seb Slade
Ciaran Stewart
Lois Pearson
Iverson Yabut
Bessy Ewa
Tom Glenister
Creatives
Director: Robert Hastie
Designer: Ben Stones
Movement director: Ben Wright
Lighting Designer: Richard Howell
Sound Designer: Alexandra Faye Braithwaite
Composer: Frew
Musical Director: Frew
Information
Running Time: Two hours 30 minutes with an interval
Booking until 27th July 2024
Theatre:
The Crucible
55 Norfolk St
Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield S1 1DA
Rail: Sheffield
Box Office: 0114 249 6000
Website:
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/chariots-of-fire/dates
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the Crucible
on 11th July 2024
