Allez! Allez! Allez!: Ned's obsession with the Tour de France
The Tour de France may have finished a few months ago now but Ned Boulting’s show will help quench your thirst for cycling action until the Tour starts up again in 2025. The Marginal Mystery Tour: 1923 and All That comes to The Varieties on Fri 1 November 2024 so we caught up with Ned to get some insight about how he turned his book about the Tour de France into a stage show.
Written by Guest Author
Writing a bestselling book
What was the inspiration behind the writing of your bestselling book 1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession?
An act of the cycling gods. Out of the blue, I was sent a link to an online auction during the winter lockdown of 2020. The lot for sale was a reel of old Pathé footage, incomplete (just to add to the mystery), very fragile, and of completely unknown providence. The rest, as they say, was history. And research. Lots of research.
How did the research and writing process differ for 1923 compared to other books you have written?
There is no comparison. This book took over my life for the best part of two years. It carved paths into the past, stuff that I unearthed that blew my mind, but it also allowed me to forge friendships in the here and now, when at last I could get to Belgium and France and explore the story to its conclusion.
When did you decide that your book could be transferred to the stage?
I wanted to know first how the book would be received. In the back of my mind, I feared that I might have gone mad and that people wouldn’t come with me on the journey. Thankfully, they have done that in huge numbers. I already sense that there is a kinship among readers of the book, and adapting it for the stage will allow for a different appreciation of the story. And hopefully, a celebration.
Ned Boulting is a sports journalist with a particular fascination with the Tour de France.
The Marginal Mystery Tour
1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession is Ned's fourth book about the Tour de France.
What can we expect from the Marginal Mystery Tour: 1923 And All That?
I think that it will appeal to an even wider audience. In the past, you might have had to have followed the Tour quite closely to have got the most out of the evening. This time, because the story spends a lot of time in 1923, I assume no knowledge. I want to bring everyone, regardless of whether you’ve read the book or not, with me on the same wonderful, fascinating journey. But, and I can’t stress this enough, there will be jokes about David Millar, Mark Cavendish, and Chris Boardman. I can’t not do that!
Is there a particular scene, or character, people should look out for in the show?
I’m still working on it. But I have not ruled out the return of my world-famous Peter Sagan impression, last used to devastating effect in 2018 on stage. Connoisseurs will realise that over six weeks on the road it went from bad to worse to unrecognisable. But I have had a few years to work on it. It could be back!
A one-man stage show must be a difficult and tiring undertaking, how do you prepare for the tour and each performance?
I go to altitude training camp in Hilly Fields in Lewisham, staggering around the hills for weeks on end, muttering to myself and trying to make myself laugh about cycling. It’s not easy.
What do you hope the audience takes away from your show?
Nothing but love for the greatest race on earth. It’s really very simple. Oh, and a signed copy of 1923. That’s quite important too.
Book now
Ned Boulting’s Marginal Mystery Tour: 1923 And All That comes to City Varieties Music Hall on Fri 1 November 2024.
In his latest celebration of the greatest race on earth, Ned delves into the hidden mysteries of a roll of film from the 1923 Tour de France that fell into his possession during the Covid pandemic, and inspired his bestselling book 1923!
Leeds Heritage Theatres
Leeds Heritage Theatres is Leeds Grand Theatre, City Varieties Music Hall and Hyde Park Picture House. A registered charity, together we make a significant contribution to the Leeds arts and cultural landscape; providing heritage spaces for people to share experiences of live performances, screenings and events. To help us achieve our vision of advancing the arts in Leeds and inspiring the next generation to keep telling our stories, we rely on your generosity and thank you for your kind donation (which is fully invested in our buildings and projects).
