In a stroke of luck, I managed to get tickets to see the sold out Golden Boy at Almeida Theatre in October. Why is this review coming out so late? Because I’m an incredible procrastinator. More reviews that should have been published ages ago, are still very much impending.
I heard about this show on social media back in June, and being a HUGE Josh O’Connor fan, I waited the two months necessary to get the tickets at release day. I even set up an alarm and reminder on my phone to guarantee tickets. And guess what didn’t go off when I needed it to? Thank you Apple, you never fail to disappoint me. I realised five days later, and by then it was too late, a big ‘SOLD OUT’ slapping me across the face.
Thankfully, my mum was down to see this show (I forced her) which meant we could purchase access tickets for the audio-described showing on the 24th. We also got free tickets to the ‘Touch-Tour’, which is an afternoon slot before the show where visually-impaired audiences get to touch and get up close to the set and costumes of the show. Obviously, this was for my mum and the other visually-impaired members of the audience, however, I very much enjoyed myself.
We did actually manage to meet Josh O’Connor himself (after I saw him in the waiting hall and plucked up the courage to shake his hand and talk to him. Yes I’m still starstruck, no I still don’t feel real.) who made a note of things he’d be doing throughout the show that the visually-impaired audience would not be able to see, including the cameras in the punching bag that projects O’Connor’s face against the wall. (We actually got to touch the punching bag and realised that damn, Josh O’Connor really is tall because our eyes weren’t nearly close to the height of the cameras.)
After the tour, my mum and I gushed about meeting Josh O’Connor (mostly just me), how intimate and in-depth the Touch Tour was (we had never experienced anything like it), and drank some wine and disgusting canned mojitos, all ready for the show.
©Marc Brenner ┃Josh O’Connor as Joe Bonaparte
Golden Boy follows talented violinist Joe Bonaparte as he descends into the chaotic life of a boxer, trading passion and love for fame and fortune. But we only live one life, and we must decide what is more important: devotion to dreams or money?
I was really pleasantly surprised by this show, every single element was driven to perfection: the plot, the script, the acting, the use of lighting and sound. This play is the proof that Josh O’Connor is one of the greatest actors of this generation, with the ability to play head-strong and violent, soft and charming. To really fill in a part and exhibit the hidden emotions of his character and make the audience see him as Joe, the struggling violinist-turned-boxer. My mum even complimented his acting, and I felt a bit of pride to be able to show for why I exclaim he’s my favourite actor of all time.
The show definitely picked up in Act II, where the stakes were higher and Joe is too sucked into the life of a boxer to really ever fill the true desire of his younger self. I thought this was a beautiful story of believing in your passion and following your dreams. I don’t believe in reincarnation, so for me, this life is our only one. There is no point wasting your life in a void of unhappiness for the small glory of fortune, if it means living with regret. Unfortunately, in this world, the privilege of being able to pursue your dreams is near impossible: complications with money, power, opportunities. This play shows the upsetting battle between happiness and comfortableness, and the struggle of not listening to what really fuels your heart.
©Marc Brenner ┃Josh O’Connor & Zubin Varla as Joe Bonaparte & Eddie Fuseli
Overall, I am elated I got to see this play while it was showing. There is nothing as thrilling as watching those intense scenes where the lighting and sound design played in harmony to create a powerful moment the audience are aghast to witness.
Every single actor carried their weight, and created an entrancing and real performance that was a privilege to watch. And kudos to audio-describing team for the brilliant descriptions of the happenings on stage.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Golden Boy is in cinemas now!
I would recommend you see it while you can.
