A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Village Bike

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  3w, 3m

Becky is pregnant—and friskier than ever. But she can’t seem to get the attention of her husband, who is preoccupied with preparing for the baby’s months-away arrival. So Becky takes matters into her own hands and sets out on an adventure that starts with the purchase of a used bike from a man in town and takes her further than she ever expected she’d go.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Not Applicable
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • NOMINEE - 2015 Lucille Lortel Award
    NOMINEE - 2015 Drama Desk Award 
    NOMINEE - 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Off-Broadway Play

Details

Summary

Isn't she gorgeous? Hardly been ridden. She's been in the garage just gathering dust. Becky is pregnant—and friskier than ever. But she can’t seem to get the attention of her husband, who is more interested in the baby manual than her new underwear, so she turns to the porn stash under the bed. As her husband prepares for the baby’s months-away arrival, Becky takes matters into her own hands. As the summer heats up, she sets out on an adventure that starts with the purchase of a used bike from a man in town and takes her further than she ever expected she’d go. A provocative and darkly comic look at fantasy and desire, The Village Bike sends Becky speeding downhill towards reckless abandon.

History

The Village Bike received its US premiere in New York City at Manhattan Classic Company (MCC), in the summer of 2014, under the direction of Sam Gold. 

BECKY - early 30s
JOHN - early 30s
JENNY - early 40s
OLIVER - mid 40s
ALICE - early 40s
MIKE - early 50s
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, New Millennium/21st Century
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Intense Adult Themes
    • Strong Language

Media

REVIEWS

"Ms. Skinner’s play is not a tempestuous love story, on the one hand, or a smirky farce of infidelity, on the other. “The Village Bike” takes its own route, both wayward and straightforward, in pursuing the idea of sex as a raw biological urge that’s been given new outlets in the age of Internet pornography. That it’s a woman’s urge that’s being explored, in unsentimental and noncelebratory terms, makes “The Village Bike” an uncommon and revitalizing entry in mainstream theater." - The New York Times, Read More

"Skinner shines a hard light on lust and domesticity." - Time Out New York, Read More

"...this is a meaty, entertaining and provocative evening, proving Skinner a worthy winner of this year’s George Devine award for most promising playwright." - Variety, Read More

"The play initially grabs with an unvarnished look at libido that turns typically male and female roles topsy-turvy." - NY Daily News, Read More

"Skinner is addressing a difficult theme head on, often with wit and verbal authenticity." - Vulture, Read More

     

Videos

  • A Look Inside MCC Theater's THE VILLAGE BIKE youtube thumbnail

    A Look Inside MCC Theater's THE VILLAGE BIKE

  • THE VILLAGE BIKE: A First Look youtube thumbnail

    THE VILLAGE BIKE: A First Look

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Penelope Skinner

Penelope Skinner's plays include The Village Bike (Royal Court Upstairs; 2011); The Sound of Heavy Rain (Paines Plough/Crucible Theatre Sheffield); Greenland (co-writer, National; 2011); The Literary Ball (co-writer, International Rough Cut, Royal Court; 2010); Eigengrau (Bus ...
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