Some stories are about winning. Others are about what it takes to keep going when winning feels a very long way off.
CADEL: Lungs On Legs manages to be about both, delivering a powerful reminder that behind every extraordinary achievement lies a human being, a thousand sacrifices and a determination that refuses to give up.
Written by Connor Delves and Steven McMahon and performed by Connor Delves, this remarkable one-man show tells the story of Australian cyclist Cadel Evans and his historic 2011 Tour de France victory. But this is no ordinary sporting biography. Connor delivers the story while physically cycling throughout the performance, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘putting your heart and soul into your work’.
And blimey, does he put the work in.
The physical demands alone are something to behold, but what makes this production so compelling is the emotional grit beneath the spectacle. Through storytelling, movement and the relentless rhythm of the pedals, we are drawn into a world of ambition, pressure, sacrifice and resilience.
There is sweat, certainly, but there is heart, too.
What could easily have become a celebration of sporting achievement instead offers something much more universal. This is a story about the cost of chasing a dream, the setbacks that threaten to derail us and the sheer determination required to get back up when life knocks us sideways.
You don’t need to know your Tour de France from your Sunday afternoon cycle to connect with that.
Delves brings tremendous energy and emotional commitment to the performance. There is something almost wonderfully stubborn about watching someone physically push themselves while telling the story of another man’s extraordinary endurance. The form and the subject become one; the effort isn’t simply described, it’s right there in front of us.
I had the pleasure of briefly meeting Connor after the show, and he was lovely. It’s always a joy to be able to offer a personal congratulations to the person behind a performance, particularly when you’ve witnessed such a remarkable commitment to their craft.
And what a night to be there: the production was celebrating its 100th performance. That’s a milestone worth raising a glass to. One hundred performances take dedication, discipline and a whole lot of passion. They also mean that this story has found its way into the lives of audiences time and time again.
As someone who is endlessly interested in people and the stories that shape us, I found myself thinking about the resilience at the heart of it all. We may not be cycling up the Alps in pursuit of a yellow jersey, but we all have our own mountains to climb. Sometimes the greatest achievement is not reaching the top first, but finding the courage to keep moving when the road gets tough.
That is the beauty of theatre. It takes us into someone else’s world and, somewhere along the way, brings us back to our own.
Congratulations to Connor Delves and the creative team on reaching this wonderful milestone.
CADEL: Lungs On Legs is an inventive, physically demanding and heartfelt piece of theatre that proves a compelling story doesn’t need bells and whistles. Sometimes, all you need is a bicycle, a remarkable performer and a story worth telling. A reminder that, whatever life throws at us, there’s always another pedal to turn.
A hundred performances in, and still plenty of miles left in the tank.
For more details and tickets: https://
Reviewer: Mary Fogg
On: 15th October
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