National Theatre: Event Cinema
Writer: Clifford Odets Director: Sam Yates Music Composer: Isobel Waller-Bridge Cast: Joe Bonaparte: Josh O’Connor, Lorna Moon: Hayley Squires, Tom Moody: Daniel Mays, Eddie Fuseli: Zubin Varla, Mr. Bonaparte: Stanley Townsend
Set in 1930s Depression-era New York, the story follows Joe Bonaparte, a fiercely talented 21-year-old violinist. Tempted by the promise of rapid wealth and celebrity, Joe abandons his musical aspirations to pursue a career as a professional prize fighter, ignoring his immigrant father’s wishes. As Joe rises through the boxing ranks, his hands become lethal weapons, destroying his musical touch. Caught in a toxic web of greedy managers, cynical lovers, and mobsters, Joe achieves commercial success but completely fractures his identity, exploring the tragic, corrosive cost of the capitalist American Dream
(3hr including one interval)