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Violin Virtuoso Trades Strings for Boxing Ring
16 Sep
Summary
- A violinist risks his hands to become a boxer for quick money.
- The play explores themes of cynicism versus optimism and instinct.
- Boxing matches primarily occur offstage, shown through stylized video.
Josh O'Connor makes a significant stage return in Clifford Odets' 1937 drama, "Golden Boy," at London's Almeida Theatre. He portrays Joe Bonaparte, a New York violinist who, facing dire circumstances, forsakes his musical aspirations to become a boxer for financial expediency, jeopardizing his hands.
O'Connor's performance captures Bonaparte's hardening resolve, a transformation observed by his anxious father and a shrewd gangster. The production cleverly uses strings and ropes to represent Joe's dual talents, with a string quartet often playing as if in his mind.
The boxing action largely occurs offstage, depicted through stylized video sequences that offer a newsreel-like view. While the play offers sharp dialogue and compelling performances from actors like Daniel Mays and Hayley Squires, it struggles to fully develop its tragic potential.
Ultimately, "Golden Boy" examines themes of opposing forces, such as cynicism versus optimism, and instinct versus intellect. Despite its potent observations and a new epilogue, the play doesn't entirely succeed as a grand social tragedy, though it provides a compelling character study.
