The Village Bike (Sheffield)
Becky (played with truthful intensity by Amy Cudden) is struggling with the fears, anxieties and hormonal changes of her first pregnancy. Her well-meaning but woefully oblivious husband Christopher Harper is too busy reading about, or telling her, what she must be going through to listen to her real needs. The consequent failure in communication leads them on a compelling journey from high farce to near tragedy. The play is brave and unflinching in its examination of female sexuality and all its accompanying moral and ethical conundrums. The moments of extreme discomfort, embarrassment even, which this generates highlight the need for a dialogue about these taboos.
The play is intimately staged, with Fabrice Serafino’s traverse design drawing the audience in and providing a pleasingly authentic back-drop to the action. Jonathan Humphreys’s direction is tight and unobtrusive, allowing each member of his skillful cast to get to the bottom of Skinner’s complex and engaging characters. A sterling production of an important play.