During a week of theatergoing in London, a critic reported that Josh O’Connor delivers a transcendent, knockout performance as Joe Bonaparte in a revival of Clifford Odets’s 1937 masterpiece Golden Boy at the Almeida Theater, running through October 31.
The Bottom Line
- Josh O’Connor stars as boxer Joe Bonaparte in an expressionist revival of Clifford Odets’s Golden Boy at London’s Almeida Theater, running through October 31.
- Director Sam Yates stages the production with a chamber quartet representing the music in Joe’s mind and intense physical choreography with a heavy punching bag.
- The London autumn theater season also features major performances by Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, and Gillian Anderson exploring complex gender dynamics.
Josh O’Connor Controls the Stage in Golden Boy
Odets’s 1937 play presents a bleak vision through the eyes of young boxer Joe Bonaparte, who trades his beloved violin for a shot at money and fame. O’Connor plays Joe as graceful, wary, and bruised, handling the Bronx-inflected lyricism with a precise musical sense. Director Sam Yates creates an expressionist production where O’Connor chases his violinist double, played by Roman Lytwyniw, up to an alcove housing a chamber quartet.
The staging treats boxing matches as frightening bouts between O’Connor and a heavy punching bag dragged across the set like a corpse. The production features a strong ensemble, including Stanley Townsend as Joe’s heartbroken father and Daniel Mays as his manager, Tom Moody. Yet it is O’Connor’s performance that anchors the dark atmosphere of the Almeida Theater production.
London Stages Spotlight Transforming Female Characters
Alongside O’Connor’s powerhouse turn, London’s autumn stages have spotlighted several titanic performances. Tilda Swinton stars at the Royal Court Theater through October 24 in Manfred Karge’s poetic monologue Man to Man. Swinton plays Ella, a German widow who takes on her dead husband’s identity and clothes to become a Nazi prison guard.
That production, directed by Stephen Unwin, revives the original 1987 staging with disruptive regietheater elements like exposed wires and archival video. Alongside Swinton, Cate Blanchett and Gillian Anderson anchor other major London productions this season. These performances highlight a broader theatrical trend of furious female characters stepping into roles abandoned by men.
| Production | Venue | Key Dates / Run | Lead Talent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Boy | Almeida Theater | Running through Oct. 31 | Josh O’Connor |
| Man to Man | Royal Court Theater | Running through Oct. 24 | Tilda Swinton |
