Connor Delves brings the remarkable true story of cycling legend Cadel Evans to London in the critically acclaimed CADEL: Lungs On Legs. Following award-winning seasons in Australia and at the Edinburgh Fringe, the solo show arrives at Riverside Studios for its London premiere.
Created, co-written and performed by Delves, the production places audiences directly in the saddle as it charts Evans’ journey to becoming the first and only Australian winner of the Tour de France. Blending live performance with the endurance and intensity of elite sport, the show has earned widespread acclaim for its unique theatrical approach.
CADEL: Lungs On Legs runs at Riverside Studios from 13 October to 15 November. Tickets are available here
You’re starring in CADEL: Lungs On Legs at Riverside Studios. What can you tell us about the show?
The show brings professional cycling to the stage in a way that’s never been done before. Actual cycling. Actual effort (and sweat!) and with all the actual gear and broadcast from the Tour de France.
We immerse the audience on the roadside of the Tour de France, the world’s greatest endurance race, as we follow Cadel Evans, Australia’s first eventual winner, on his extraordinary journey of grit, perseverance and effort in getting to the pinnacle of the sport, against all the odds.
I ride live on stage for nearly the entire performance and put myself through the throes and challenges of a live endurance test, whilst giving insight into how Cadel survived and pushed through incredible amounts of adversity, pressure and danger.
It’s a thrilling and human story that speaks to what makes a human tick.
You not only perform in the show but also co-created and co-wrote it. What inspired you to bring Cadel Evans’ story to the stage?
I have always been an athlete. Competing, training, racing and pursuing that winning feeling. When I think of entertainment and unbelievable achievements in the world, I think of the Tour de France.
It’s a world I understand and one very close to who I am as a person, which is something I think audiences crave these days: stories close to the people portraying them. Cadel’s story is unique, inspiring and incredibly high stakes.
I wanted to bring endurance sport to the stage and do it properly, not theatricalise it to get around the physical effort and talent required to execute the sport. I knew I could do that and Cadel’s incredible journey was the perfect vehicle for it.
The first Australian to win the “great race” in a sport dominated by Europeans, and one requiring incredible mental fortitude, especially considering what Cadel went through. What really inspired me is how he did it.
It’s not dissimilar to my acting career and the synergies here really excited me.
The production sees you riding on stage throughout the performance. How did you prepare for the physical demands of the role, and how does that shape the storytelling?
It is an intense experience, both during the performance, before and after!
I train with my coach Prime Train for strength and conditioning as well as nutrition, and then train on the bike with Wahoo Fitness, as well as BMC, the same bike brand Cadel rode to victory in 2011.
Preparation is really my whole life at the moment. There is no hiding what this show requires. A huge physical and mental effort, every single night, and two performances on some days.
So fuelling, hydration, warming up and cooling down, strength sessions, and of course many, many kilometres on the bike all play a big part in my life.
One thing I had to focus on was being fit enough to talk throughout the cycling on stage. It’s a different level and skillset that people often ask me about.
I learnt the show while riding the bike. Talk and ride, talk and ride.
Living in that high heart rate space for much of the show meant I had to focus intensely to remain clear with the language.
It makes this show incredibly unique. I’m pushing to the absolute limit on stage and having to communicate with the audience throughout the pain and suffering, so they’re with me.
It’s not acting; I’m actually going through it!
Your family has deep connections to the world of cycling. How much did your own experiences and upbringing influence the way you approached this project?
Hugely.
It’s a language, a way of life, a muscle memory. You can’t really just jump into a project like this if you haven’t lived it.
My upbringing is the reason I created the show. I see and feel and desire sport to be shown truthfully, with the same level of determination we see on the world’s greatest mountains and roads.
My upbringing meant I was able to connect with Cadel himself, who is a part of the project, the brands that supported him, his teammates, commentators and all the media around the sport.
Every detail is true and accurate to how it happened (remarkably!) and my deep connection to sport and the cycling family meant I could bring a level of authenticity to the show that elevates it to the next level.
Detail and effort were my two big focuses in creating the piece.
I’d also say that seeing my parents make sacrifices in the world of sport to benefit my brother and me influenced how I created the project. They are incredible people and athletes and instilled in me that hard work, on the bike and off, is the only way to succeed.
The show has enjoyed sold-out runs in Australia and at the Edinburgh Fringe. What has it been like seeing audiences connect with this story across different countries?
It’s an incredible thing.
I think people yearn for stories of resilience and hard work, but they also want to be entertained.
Cycling fans are next level in terms of commitment and enjoyment. So to see them attend in the masses and connect with a story they recognise as accurately representing their sport is one of the great joys of my life.
Theatre audiences have been thrilled by the entertainment and event-like nature of the piece.
It’s unbelievable what Cadel went through and I’m really proud of our team for building his life into a compact and daring piece of theatre that welcomes audiences who may never have watched a bike race in their life.
It speaks to who we as humans are. We desire connection and truth – and ultimately, we all just want a fair go at succeeding.
It’s very Australian, but something that deep down we all really want.
It’s special that I get to see and feel people’s reaction to the show all across the world. I’ll never take that for granted.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see CADEL: Lungs On Legs?
Throw yourself in.
It’s an event. A race. A play. A story.
I guarantee you wouldn’t have seen this level of effort on a stage before.
We have an incredible team of Australian-born artists who have worked to bring the upgraded version of the show to London and I cannot wait to share it with audiences there.
Come along for the ride. It’s fast, exciting and hopefully, inspiring.
