Symphonie of the Bicycle

State Theatre Company South Australia presents Brink Productions
SYMPHONIE OF THE BICYCLE by Hew Parham

14th –  25th May 2024
Space Theatre
Adelaide Festival Centre
Followed by an outer metropolitan and regional SA tour
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25 - 29 June
Hothouse Theatre
Wodonga, VICTORIA
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‘Medals aren’t meant to be worn on the shirt; they are to be worn on the soul.’
Gino Bartali (1914-2000)

After a SOLD-OUT season in January 2023, you don’t want to miss this funny, heartfelt one-man show about cycling and obsession, envy and ambition, winning and losing, and finding the inner grit to dominate the mountain stages of life.

Hew is a passionate wannabe cyclist. But Hew is in a malaise. Stuck in a cycle of dead-end jobs and missed opportunities he has long harboured a pathological envy of his more successful high school friend, now professional cyclist, Jake.

Told in parallel with our hero’s tale is the story of the great Gino Bartali (1914 – 2000), winner of the Tour de France in 1938 and 1948, who, in WWII, risked his life to save Jewish lives in Northern Italy by secretly transporting documents in his bicycle.

In Symphonie of the Bicycle these stories combine to create an absurdly hysterical yet ultimately moving portrait of the quest for glory and heroism.

On sale NOW through your State Theatre Company of South Australia Subscription here.
Single tickets available on this page, or through Ticketek, from 1st December 2023.

Suitable for ages 12+
80 minute duration
Contains coarse language

Symphonie of the Bicycle has had two previous seasons:

Merrigong Theatre
21st - 24th September, 2022

Space Theatre
Adelaide Festival Centre
17th - 21st January, 2023

Previously supported by

Original commissioning partners Merrigong Theatre and Adelaide Festival Centre.

CAST
Performer Hew Parham

CREATIVES
Writer Hew Parham 
Director Chris Drummond
Composer & Sound Designer Will Spartalis 
Set, Costume & Lighting Design Wendy Todd 
Associate Lighting Designer & Technical Operator Aaron Herczeg 
Dramaturg Caleb Lewis
Production Manager Lachlan Turner
Stage Manager Marg Crompton

InDaily (Australia)
'Hew Parham has the audience in the palm of his hand and holds them there.'

'a shining example of the way polished stagecraft, inventive sound and lighting, and emotionally astute writing can combine to tell an intricate story in an utterly compelling way.'

'This show is captivating.'

'While Parham’s remarkable skills in comedy and physical theatre are on full display for the entire 90 minutes, there are deeper themes at work. His writing is equally impressive.'
 

The Advertiser - SA Weekend (Australia) 14 Jan 2023
'Symphonie de la Bicyclette is beautifully written, a deft mix of light and dark, with many amusing moments, yet not a little tragedy.'

'Parham is an outstanding talent'
 

Glam Adelaide (Australia)
★★★★.5
'extremely funny, poignant, emotionally raw and richly entertaining'

Arts Hub
'Parham’s ability to flit seamlessly between characters and timelines was remarkable'

SA LIFE - January edition
Ranked Symphonie de la Bicyclette #2 in the top 10 things to in Adelaide while at the Tour Down Under!

For further details on touring this show, please email John Glenn here.

Click HERE to download the Teachers' Notes for Symphonie of the Bicycle.