NT Live - Golden Boy

Exeter Northcott Theatre is screening NT Live - Golden Boy on Wednesday 27 January 2027, starting at 7:00 PM. It's a National Theatre Live production of Clifford Odets' American classic, directed by Sam Yates and starring Josh O'Connor. The whole thing was filmed live at the Almeida Theatre, so you're seeing a stage performance brought to the screen rather than a play staged here in the room.

Set in 1930s New York, Golden Boy follows Joe Bonaparte, a gifted young violinist who gets drawn into the brutal world of professional boxing. It's a story about a man caught between two very different lives — the music he loves and the fighting that pays the bills — and the tension that builds as he tries to hold onto both. The production runs for 180 minutes, so it's a full evening's commitment.

One detail that sets this apart from a standard recording is the live string quartet. They perform alongside the screening, bringing the music from the play into the theatre in real time. Given that the story centres on a violinist, having live strings in the room adds a layer that a recorded soundtrack wouldn't quite reach.

Tickets are £17.00, and if you're under 26, there's a way to get it cheaper: the theatre's U26 Membership offers £5 or £10 tickets for selected performances to anyone aged 14 to 25. The screening is part of the Northcott's wider programme, which runs from classic theatre and cabarets to comedy, contemporary dance, touring opera and live music, alongside emerging artists, student productions and nationally touring shows. Golden Boy starts at 7:00 PM on Wednesday 27 January.