BIKEFACE by Natalie Frijia (Trailblazing Ladies). At Annex Theatre. July 7 at 1:45 pm, July 9 at 10:45 pm, July 12 at 1:45 pm, July 13 at 9:45 pm, July 14 at 2:15 pm, July 15 at 7:30 pm. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Based on creator Natalie Frijias own cross-country bike expedition, this solo show is a funny, heartfelt adventure thats equal parts classic road trip story (but on two wheels) and feminist ode to cycling.
While working on her PhD on great explorers, Natalie (Clare Blackwood) decides she needs to go on her own adventure and embarks on solo bike trip from Halifax to Vancouver. Along the way she meets a cast of quirky characters, like an insufferable hippie bro in Halifax and a charmingly creepy Saskatchewanian innkeeper, which allows Blackwood to show off her incredible range and repertoire of accents.
Female cyclists will appreciate how Frijias writing deftly captures some of the nuances of biking as a woman, like the insistent catcalling or mansplainers who feel compelled to educate you on the details of your own bike.
But BikeFace is a story about one woman breaking down barriers, a sentiment audiences of all stripes can rally behind.
