Tom Glenister stars in the Crucible Theatre’s production of Chariots of Fire.
This stage adaptation, directed by Robert Hastie, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 1924 Paris Olympics, showcasing the remarkable achievements of Abrahams and Eric Liddell.
With performances running until July 27, 2024, this production promises to be a thrilling theatrical experience. Secure your tickets now through the Sheffield Theatres Box Office or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the story at the heart of the production. Does that add to the excitement of bringing the story to life on stage?
Absolutely, what with it being the 100 year anniversary of the story, those Olympics being in Paris and the Olympics being in Paris this year, it feels like the perfect time to be doing this show.
What has the rehearsal process been like, considering the obvious challenges of bringing an Olympic race to the stage?
It’s been demanding but a joy, start to finish. It was challenging physically and mentally for all the creative team, but really exciting to come together and figure it out as a group. Ben Stone’s design is not only stunning but brilliantly clever. We jump around a lot in this play, but thanks to the design and Robert Hastie’s genius, the story and journey remains really clear throughout.
Given the subject matter, I would imagine Ben Wright’s movement design for the play has been an integral part of the show’s creative process. Does this make the play feel more energised and alive than plays which do not rely on movement as heavily?
Ben’s been brilliant. He’s had a huge job to choreograph all the races and make each one feel unique and dramatic, but he’s achieved it and some. The aim has always been to recreate the power and athleticism of running a race whilst giving the audience a real theatrical experience. Everyone is exhausted by the end and hopefully the audience (in the best way!) will be to.
Both Harold and Eric have strong, yet very different, religious beliefs. Is there a sense that although the story is set a century ago, modern audiences will connect to the themes within the show?
I think so. Religion is certainly a motivating factor for both Harold and Eric, but they are energised and driven by other things too. Very universal things: love, family, ambition, achievement. These are things many people would fight for and connect with I think.
Olivier Award winner Mike Bartlett has written the script for this new production, do you think that the new script will appeal to fans of the original movie as well as people who are coming to the play with very little previous knowledge of the story?
Absolutely, Mike’s script pays a wonderful tribute to the film and holds a huge amount of respect for it. It’s a brilliant, powerful story, so whether people are coming with prior knowledge or completely fresh, they’re in for a treat.
One of the most memorable things about the original movie was the Oscar winning Vangelis composed score. How important has the score been for bringing the play to life?
The music is epic. Frew, our composer and musical director, has done an incredible job at keeping that Vangelis feel from the movie, whilst delivering a brand new, rousing score. The music is the real heartbeat of this production I think. It’s worth saying whilst the score is entirely original, fans of the Vangelis score won’t be disappointed. That’s all I’ll say on that! No spoilers!
