Review: GOLDEN BOY at Almeida Theatre

As much a treatise on the pitfalls and shortcomings of believing in the American dream, the play charts Joe’s transition from disenchanted violinist who craves money and the trappings of a successful career, but who turns to boxing for the big bucks after he demonstrates a killer instinct inside the ring.

As his on-the-make manager Tom Moody, the ever excellent Daniel Mays turns in a beautifully measured performance, traversing the competing emotions of greedy motivator, with a pathetic neediness in his love for Lorna Moon played by Hayley Squires. When she falls for Joe, the conflicting loyalties she feels towards both men, and the demands that they place on her, mean that things can only end badly.

Juxtaposed with the creeping success of prize fighting bouts is the gradually diminishing optimism of Joe’s father, Stanley Townsend who wants his son to find happiness through playing the violin rather than cripple his hands as a fighter. Other turns which vie for attention on a stage packed with accomplished performers, include Zubin Varla’s Eddie Fuseli a competing promoter whose lizard-like motions and obsessive preoccupation with Joe, move beyond unsavoury and into the realm of psychotic. And Jason Barnett as mild mannered, trusty trainer Tokio, who is frequently charged with being the voice of reason in a company of misfits, malcontents and troubled souls.

Unusually for the Almeida, the production which is directed by Sam Yates, boasts a fully carpentered set by Rosanna Vize which fills the usual semi-circle void and obscures the renowned London-brick back wall — that is, until a section previously covered by white bi-fold shutters is opened to reveal a string quartet under the musical direction of Roman Lytwyniw. The musicians play accompanying pieces by Isobel Waller-Bridge, which imbue a stirring and emotional depth to key moments. A punchbag too is used to good effect in the design; swirling under a barrage of blows, the onboard video cameras (courtesy of Jack Phelan) live stream to the back wall in black and white.

The last 20 minutes go slightly off the rails as the production’s melodramatic denouement resorts to explosive bursts of shouting and recrimination following a bloody and tragic bout. As a metaphor for the worst excesses of capitalist aspiration (versus the purer passion found in a love for the arts, perhaps) it rings true but for all that, it also rings ugly.

GOLDEN BOY runs 2 hours and 25 minutes including interval and continues at the Almeida until 30th October.