Revival of Clifford Odets' 1930s play about a violinist who is tempted to become a professional boxer, with Josh O'Connor, directed by Sam Yates.
Josh O'Connor stars in a revival of Golden Boy at the Almeida Theatre, running from Tuesday 8 September to Saturday 31 October 2026. The play was written by American playwright Clifford Odets in the mid-1930s, right in the middle of the Great Depression, and it follows Joe Bonaparte, the son of an Italian-American family. Joe is torn between two very different lives: his natural gift as a violinist and a career as a professional boxer, the latter pushed on him by a ruthless manager, a forbidden love, and the expectations of his family. It's a story about what happens when you're pulled in two opposite directions, and O'Connor takes the lead.
Odets is often seen as a forerunner to Arthur Miller, and he funded his stage plays by writing Hollywood film scripts. This production is directed by Sam Yates, and there are a couple of specific details to the staging: a string quartet stays hidden behind a shuttered window, and a heavy punchbag is brought on stage once per act. The production is recommended for ages 12 and up, and it's supported by the Huo Family Foundation.
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Evening performances start at 7.30pm, with matinees at 2pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The running time is around 2 hours and 25 minutes, including an interval. With the run stretching from early September to the end of October, there's plenty of room to catch it whenever suits.
