A sell-out success at the 2005 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Bombay to Beijing by Bicycle is a hyper-energetic one-man show written and performed by actor and writer Russell McGilton. Based on his own experience cycling from Bombay to Beijing, McGilton’s sensitive writing, strong characterisation and brilliant use of physical comedy make for a great hour of comedic theatre.

McGilton’s writing highlights the tension between our idealised version of India as a spiritual destination and the malodorous reality of crowds, illness, exhaustion and diarrhoea. The script is insightful, avoids cultural stereotypes and demonstrates McGilton’s love of the complexities and contradictions of India.

The show really starts to gel when McGilton morphs into highly nuanced and hyper-physical characters such as the Indian doctor congratulating him on ‘having the malaria’, the colonial officer representing his subconscious and the town mayor who espouses the virtues of drinking one’s own urine. While it might look manic, every movement is polished and McGilton’s proficiency in mime and physical theatre is evident. The malaria cabaret performed by mosquitoes is particularly funny, while the blokey reverberations of McGilton’s late father are subtle and poignant.

Articulation was a slight problem as McGilton raced through his material at such a frenetic pace that some words were lost. A small amount of script editing would allow the text to match the energy of the performance. The focus on toilet humour could also be condensed.

McGilton’s engaging and dynamic performance shines under the tight direction of Kimberley Grigg-Pierzchalski. Well worth seeing.