The Perfect Vehicle – The New Theatre – Review

THE PERFECT VEHICLE – What It Is About Motorcycles by Melissa Holbrook Pierson, adapted for stage by Audrey Devereux.

Dates – 24th-28th, Tue-Fri 7.30pm, Sat 3pm.
Starring Jessy Danner & Ruairí Nicholl

At the start of the play, Melissa (Jessy Danner) tries to explain to the audience why she loves motorbikes. She is wearing a black leather jacket and jeans. She talks about the weight of the bike, a quarter of a ton of steel. She talks about the power of the bike and the speed it can generate. At that point, she decides to tell the story of what sparked her love of the machines.

This work is based on the book “The Perfect Vehicle – What It Is About Motorcycles” by American writer Melissa Holbrook Pierson. The book was released in 1997 and tried to articulate the reason why people love motorbikes, along with her own personal story. According to the New Yorker, the book is a “polished, winding meditation on the theory and fractiousness of motorcycles”. The book was adapted for the stage by Audrey Devereux, who distils the ideas and concepts of the book into a 55-minute stage play.

The play also deals with the men in Melissa’s life; we meet a variety of motorcycle enthusiasts, all played by Ruairí Nicholl. Tad was the first man to pique her interest, encouraging her to join a beginner’s class and helping her to buy her first bike. It was a red, 1988 Moto Guzzi, and she fell in love with it. We then meet a succession of mechanics and other individuals who shared her love of bikes.

It also details the level of discrimination she encounters as she enters this male-dominated world. The majority of the people she meets try to put her off her new obsession or treat her as an oddity. Her persistence gradually wins them over.

The motorbikes are described as volatile machines, almost like beasts that need to be constantly cared for. Melissa talks about her fear of the bike breaking down while she is touring, and also the thrill of the ride.

What is the crossover between the theatre-going public and your average Motorcycle club? It’s unlikely to be vast, but for those who love motorbikes, this work will articulate many of the feelings they have for these powerful machines. If you don’t love motorbikes, this is a view into a different world and an obsession that many devote their lives to. Jessy Danner plays the fresh-faced and enthusiastic Melissa, and we feel her energy and passion. Ruairí Nicholl is a nice counterpoint, with a collection of (mostly) surly and morose men. This production has a short run in the New Theatre, but it’s easy to see it travelling further afield, as it’s a topic that will resonate with many.

Directed by Anthony Fox.

Produced and presented by The New Theatre, Dublin, Ireland.

Special thanks to Mallory Adams for her creative contributions.