The Truth About Harry Beck - Review

Cubic Theatre, London

****

Written and directed by Andy Burden

Simon Snashall

The truth about Harry Beck, a graphic designer working for London Transport, is that he gave London its iconic Tube Map. 

With a skill in drawing schematics of electrical circuits to aid the network’s signalling engineers, it was Beck’s creative genius that transformed the Underground’s map from its original form, based on the capital’s actual geography and thus a visual jumble of spaghetti, to the far simpler “diagram” as Beck himself referred to his creation, that is now recognised across the world.

With meticulous research Andy Burden charts Beck’s life, and marriage to Nora, tracking his achievements and setbacks, sensibly trimming his narrative into one-act of 70 minutes.

Playing in the compact Cubic Theatre that nestles underneath Covent Garden's London Transport Museum, Simon Snashall as Harry with Ashley Christmas as Nora are perfectly cast. Capturing a gentler time of 20th century England, the pair sensitively portray the couples’ love and aspirations. As we come to learn of their ultimate childlessness, Beck’s pride in his brilliant simplification of the Tube network becomes even more painfully poignant.

There’s meat in the dialogue to satisfy the city's geeks and historians. As Harry comments to Nora as his diagram evolves: “Does it matter that Queensway and Bayswater are really so near to each other?”, had knowledgable Londoners chuckling.

The staging is simple, with a neat touch early on as Beck grabs coloured ribbons from Nora’s sewing box, to graphically festoon their lounge. It is a moment of delightful theatre as his simple representation of the central London intersections of the Bakerloo, Central, District, Metropolitan, Northern and Piccadilly lines takes shape before our eyes.

This is charming, informative and educational drama that is beautifully performed.

Runs until 10th November

Photo credit: Mark Douet