INTERVIEW: Lizzi Gee (Ride The Cyclone)

Lizzi Gee (director/choreographer)

Earlier this week I had the chance to attend a press event for upcoming European premiere of “Ride The Cyclone” at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, during which I managed to sit down and chat with Lizzi Gee, director and choreographer for the production. Prior to this, the room was treated. to three sneak peek performances from the show, all of which can be viewed on my TikTok page. Additionally you can view rehearsal photos from Lyric Hammersmith.

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How aware were you of the show beforehand, had you seen it at all, listened to the cast recording?

No I hadn't. I was approached by the producers about coming on board as the director choreographer for the show, and so they gave me the script and the soundtrack, because that's the only thing I had to go off in terms of knowledge of the show. And then there is obviously a lot of YouTube bootleg footage I think, recordings of the show as well, as a reference point. The second I started listening to the soundtrack, I mean wow, every song is so unique, and so different, and I loved the stories; I also love a 90 minute musical sort of straight through, it punches in hard. So there's the energy of it feeling like you're actually on a rollercoaster as an audience member, I think.

Was it the music that drew you to the show?

Music and also the fact that it has a teen story to it, and themes of teenagers discovering themselves and who they want to be and that sort of listening to each other, like I have two teenage boys as well, so that thing of opening up, and expressing yourself and the fragility of eternity, and all the things that this show brings in. It feels like a really good time to be doing this piece of work.

The cast of Ride The Cyclone" in rehearsals (credit: Danny Kaan)

I'm guessing you know about the enormously dedicated fan base attached to this show, do you feel that adds an extra element of expectation for you?

Yes, I think what I'm trying to do is not carbon copy, obviously I want to find a way of doing my own version of this production, but it's like being handed the keys to a beloved carnival ride on a new track. You know, so that you're going, “okay, I've got the ride, the show itself”, and then “now I'm going to take it on its own twist and turns”, and not reinvent but reawaken, so that you're honouring the comedy, the dark humour in it, and the heart that's within it, but trying to find a way of reimagining the storytelling, the choreography, you know, I choreograph as well. So all of that is new fresh ideas, and for myself trying to encompass the space, this show has never sat in a theatre like what we have, and I'm excited about the intimacy and how immersive that we're trying to make this piece feel. So yeah, something new for the fans, basically.

Obviously with this being your 2nd production as a director choreographer, is this something of a new era for you? And who would you say your biggest influence as a director?

Oh, wow. Yeah, I guess I've obviously done lots of plays and operas and my CV as a choreographer is quite broad in the different directors that I've worked with. And that, I guess, has given me an advantage to be able to learn from a lot of greats from different areas of theatre. And I work with Matthew Warchus quite a lot on his productions, and so sometimes if you get stuck in a moment, he would always say to me - “it's fine to be stuck, be stuck, rather than stressing out about, ‘how are we going to unlock this?’ because that's the moment where you will find the genius” - he always says, so taking some words of wisdom from people like Matthew, and also, as a choreographer, this is a really physical piece, so it's being able to tell the story in a really imaginative way.

So you're able to kind of play to your strengths in that respect?

Totally, yeah. So it's like a playground for me, of numbers that all have such different arcs and different journeys, but I'm able to give each one its own identity in terms of staging. So yeah, I hope that that comes across.

The cast of Ride The Cyclone" in rehearsals (credit: Danny Kaan)

So what can you tell us about the show without giving too much away? And why do you think it would resonate with audiences in this country?

I think... Well, we have so many parallels in terms of the our fragility in our life and mortality, and how we view what is success. You know, social media has so much to sort of, I guess, blame in terms of feeling seen or unseen, or you have x-1000 amount of followers or you have 10 followers, and what that does to how you think someone is successful or not, or have lived your life well because you are on a pedestal of labelled someone that's known or applauded. And I think that these characters are all fighting to be heard, to be seen, especially Ocean. And I think she has the biggest journey because she thinks she's got a selfless act of going, “well, I'll go first then, I'll save everyone else from going 1st”. And she ends up just dissing every other choir member in her opening number, without actually talking about the reason why it needs to be her to be chosen. I think she has the biggest journey, and the biggest arc, in actually stopping and listening, and appreciating and valuing other people's lives, and I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves right now in this climate to feel heard or seen. I think it's sometimes okay just being in the moment, rather than chasing something, or feeling like you have to chase something or that there's judgement placed on where you're at in life.

And we've had, you know, tears in rehearsal room where someone’s in the middle of a song, and you're thinking, “oh gosh, this is so deep”, because you can really draw on your own experiences of loss or whatever it may be. So I'd hope that the message of the show, when the audience leave, is they just turn that question to themselves about how they spend their time, because time is something that we can't outrun. And it's just then reflecting back, or maybe thinking "I need to leave time and space for that", or space for a conversation with someone you might not have seen in a long time, or shall I book that holiday? Yes, book the holiday. Like all those kind of things where it's about how we value our time that we have on this planet, which I think is very precious.

What have been the biggest challenges in staging the show, and what's been the most enjoyable throughout this whole process?

I think for me, I want each number to have its own sort of moment, so they all feel like 9 o'clock numbers, right? Or 11 o'clock numbers, whatever we call it. So it was (originally) written as a revue show, these songs were written before the text came, so for me, it's about trying to find real arc through each individual number. They all have a storyboard, but not just performing a routine for the sake of it. And some of those numbers are easier to find that arc through, I mean, Ocean’s is so clearly written and structured in the way it's devised. Then you've got “Space Age Bachelor Man”, Ricky's song, which is one of the longest songs in the show, and it's totally bonkers, but wildly imaginative. And actually, that's what can we do at this point or what gimmick have we got at this point in the sense of like how, how wild can we go? How bonkers can we go? And we're going there. Like we're totally going there.

Lizzi Gee leading rehearsals for "Ride The Cyclone" (credit: Danny Kaan)

And with Jane Doe of course, the next expectation is that, you know, everyone knows that there's a certain element in her number that has been done in previous productions, which fans may be wanting to know whether we're doing the same, but in a way, to find your version of what that moment is has been an absolute treat. We've got illusions in the show and I love working, my legion is Richard Pinner. I did “the Lightning Thief“ with, he's on this production, so he's got a, we've got a great sort of collaborative conversation going on between the 2 of us. They were able to be like, “what happens if this happens?” And every time I give him a task, you're like, “yep, I can do that”. You know, we find ways to make things work. So it's been really fun to do, you know, fresh takes on all of these numbers.

So relating to the fact that it's about the rollercoaster and that everyone basically dies on it, are you yourself a fan of roller coasters and theme parks?

You know what? I trained in Blackpool, and the big one, as it was called 'the double A ride' ("Valhalla"), which is the most expensive rides you could go on in Blackpool, I used to get to go on them for free because I worked a bit in one of the theatres there. And so I spent quite a lot of my sort of late teens, early 20s riding the rollercoaster in Pleasure Beach, and just hearing the screams! That's the soundscape for me, that's where you immediately go back to just this loud screaming, and so I actually am a bit of a fan of roller coasters and I haven't been on one for a very long time.

Alton Towers or Thorpe Park?

Thorpe Park is really close to my house and my youngest, who is 13, went to Thorpe Park last week, and he is petrified of rollercoasters, he was with a group of friends, and because he went with them, it was almost this sort of, “I gotta just get on and do it”. And now he's obsessed with rollercoasters, so that's brilliant.

He must be really keen to come and see the show then?

Yeah, he's really keen. He’s snuck in for some rehearsals because they've been on half term this week, so he came into rehearsals and he’s loved it, and now he’s desperate to get in.

Well I'm excited to see the show, thanks so much for talking to me today

Yeah thanks James.

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"Ride The Cyclone" will run at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from the 14th of November 2025 until the 10th of January 2026, with tickets on sale from the Southwark Playhouse website, where you can also find full rehearsal photography by Danny Kaan.