BOXING CLEVER

Sucker Punch, Roy Williams’ award-winning play about being young and black in Britain, might be set in the 1980s - when Thatcherism and simmering racial tensions were the order of the day - but director Nathan Powell tells What’s On its content continues to resonate in 2023...

Director and writer Nathan Powell might be a boxing enthusiast, but he knows where to draw the line. “I like to think of myself as a casual fan,” he admits. “Because real boxing fans will get angry if I don’t know the answer to a boxing question!”

It’s a sensible stance to take, given that his latest project sees him directing a revival of Sucker Punch, British dramatist Roy Williams’ hard-hitting sports drama about two former friends who step into the ring to face each other as well as their own demons. But is Leon Davidson a Black British champion or an Uncle Tom? And is his onetime ally, Troy Augustus, an American powerhouse or just a naïve cash cow?

As well as being a classic underdog story, the drama tackles themes of identity, prejudice and the financial exploitation of athletestopics just as relevant today as they were in the 1980s, when the play is set.

Sucker Punch debuted at London’s Royal Court in 2010. An instant hit with the critics, it was nominated for an Olivier for Best New Play and scooped a number of other prizes, including The Alfred Fagon Award and The Writers Guild Award for Best Play.

The plaudits are all merited, according Nathan, who was recently appointed artistic director & joint CEO of the National Student Drama Festival.

“I think it’s such a brilliant piece,” he says. “Roy Williams is amazing at telling really detailed, intricate, big and vast stories for everyone in the audience. He’s such a wonderful creator of characters, but also a great creator of stories.”

Nathan is especially taken with the relationship between the two main characters, but just as importantly with their circumstances and the experiences of black men in this country, which aren’t that dissimilar to the period in which the play is set.

“It opens up a really useful dialogue between different generations of black people who grew up in the UK. The challenges now, compared to the ’80s, are different but the same, if that makes any sense? There’s a difference in terms of how what we experience today looks, but they’re the same challenges. And it’s all about how we approach those challenges.”

And given that those experiences and challenges are universal to black people all over the country, Nathan is keen to bring the production to regions and audiences not necessarily familiar with the play’s London setting and Brixton riots backdrop.

“I’m a Londoner who’s moved out of London, and I have a real commitment and energy and drive to create really excellent work outside of the capital.

“This Theatre Nation Partnership with Wolverhampton Grand and all the other partners allows us to tour such an amazing piece of work outside of London. And that’s powerful, and really special to be able to share with as many audiences across the country as possible.

“Taking this type of work out to the regions is really at the heart of this project - that’s the thing that feels really important and empowering. We’ve just come out of the pandemic, and partnerships like this mean that this might be some people’s first experience of theatre, or their only experience of theatre for a long time.”

Nathan is also thrilled at the chance to work with Roy Williams (“one of the country’s greatest living playwrights”) after their paths first crossed in 2020 on an audio play project by Stratford East called 846. The title came from the eight minutes and 46 seconds it took for George Floyd to die in police custody. The project featured short pieces by 14 different writers, including Nathan, each responding to Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Each was a standalone exploration of racial inequality and oppression, but together they formed a powerful tapestry of voices. That was the first time that Roy and I had worked together, and I’m seriously excited to be working with him again on Sucker Punch.”

Nathan is also keen to make the show a more immersive experience than a typical stage show. He wants audiences to feel like they’re stepping into a boxing gym and “walking into an event rather than a traditional theatre space” - one in which movement direction is just as important as set design.

“We can’t turn the performers into professional boxers in a four-week rehearsal period, but that’s what the audience want to see. They want to see the beauty of the art that is the sport of boxing. So it’s really interesting how we can make that big and theatrical, but also how we show off the raw skill and beauty that is in boxing.

“I think there are some real key elements we can pull out of that to make it a wonderful theatrical feat but also make the audience feel like they’re experiencing those fights.”

Nathan admits the boxing scenes will need to be stylised, but hopes he can find a middle ground realistic enough for audiences to feel like they’ve seen a real fight. As much as there’s a balancing act between satisfying theatre-goers and fight fans, he’s also keen to highlight the genuine drama of the sport. “As a boxing fan, I wouldn’t want to watch boxing being acted badly in a play, but I would want to experience the energy of being there at a boxing match.

“When you’re at home watching boxing on a TV screen, sometimes you don’t pick up on things like the boxers sweat bouncing off other people, or the sound of a punch landing, or the exhale of a boxer as the final bell goes. Those things are what I want to highlight when people come to watch thisthat idea of being at a live boxing match. I really want to bring those feelings of seeing and hearing a real fight to this play.”

As well as being excited by the piece, he also wants audiences to leave the theatre with a few things to think - and talk - about.

“I hope that they have interesting conversations with the people that they came with about what it means to be black in Britain. I don’t want to answer questions for anyone, I just want to encourage talking and people to start a conversation. That’s all I can ask for and that’s all I hope for.”

Gigs

Live music from across the region...

Siouxsie

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Wed 21 June

Local lad Steve Homer - the CEO of The Halls’ operator, AEG Presents - is delighted to have secured an appearance by Siouxsie Sioux at the venue only weeks after its grand reopening. “When I put in an enquiry,” he reveals, “they came back and said she’s going to do it because it’s her favourite venue she ever played with the Banshees.”

At the time of writing, Siouxsie’s Wolverhampton date will mark the first time she’s performed live in the UK in 10 years. Her appearance at The Halls, coming in the middle of a set of shows in Europe, is part of the punk icon’s first live tour in 15 years.

Two Door Cinema Club

Student Union Building, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Thurs 29 June; The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Thurs 6 July

Comprising Alex Trimble, Kevin Baird and Sam Halliday, Two Door Cinema Club released debut album Tourist History back in 2010. Their follow-up offering, Beacon, went to number one in the Irish albums chart and number two in the UK chart.

Re-energised by a self-imposed hiatus, the band returned for an extensive headline tour in support of third studio album Gameshow. Since that time they’ve released a further two records, the most recent being Keep On Smiling, which came out last autumn.

Jack Savoretti

Cannock Chase Forest, Staffordshire, Sun 11 June

“I love performing at these wonderful woodland locations,” says Jack Savoretti in talking about his Forest Live appearance in Cannock Chase Forest. “They are like no other live arenas. I look forward to sharing all our new music with you in this incredible

Mostly Autumn

The Robin, Bilston, Sun 11 June

With support slots under their belts for, among others, Blackmore’s Night, Uriah Heep and Jethro Tull - not to mention a ‘special guest appearance’ at Bryan Adams’ Murrayfield Stadium gig a few years backMostly Autumn take pride in being the best band you’ve probably never heard of. Happiest when playing live, they have developed a sound all their own, drawing on influences from the golden age of ’70s rockmost evidently Genesis and Pink Floyd - to create music which feels both modern and experimental.

Expect to hear tracks from their most recent album, late-2021’s Graveyard Star.

Emma Rawicz Quintet

The Hive, Shrewsbury, Sat 17 June

Creating music that fuses multiple influences - from lilting Afro Cuban-inspired grooves to hard-hitting modern jazz & funk numbers - award-winning saxophonist & composer Emma Rawicz is a new star burning brightly in the musical firmament. Last year voted best newcomer at the setting.”

Inheriting his brooding good looks from his mother - a Polish-German model - and his Italian father, Jack released his debut album in 2007 and is blessed with a husky and hugely captivating voice.

He is joined in the woodlands by Natalie Imbruglia, who recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of her acclaimed debut album, Left Of The Middle.

Parliamentary Jazz Awards and a finalist in the BBC Young Jazz Musician competition, she is joined for this Shrewsbury gig by four star names from the world of jazz: Ant Law (guitar), Ivo Neame (piano), Conor Chaplin (bass) & Asaf Sirkis (drums).

Scott Matthews

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Sat 10 June

Wolverhamptonborn singer-songwriter Scott Matthews’ ground-breaking debut album, Passing Stranger, earned serious critical acclaim, with his first single, Elusive, winning the Ivor Novello award for ‘best song musically & lyrically’.

Described by Total Entertainment as ‘the man who specialises in conveying the emotional complexities of love and loss in sparse, warm-hearted acoustic songs’, he’s now released eight albums, the latest of which, Restless Lullabies, came out in late April.

Comedy previews from across the region

Paul Smith

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Wed 14 June; O2 Academy, Birmingham, Thurs 20 & Fri 21 July; Brierley Hill Civic Hall, Wed 26 - Thurs 27 July

Affable Liverpool comedian Paul Smith has waxed lyrical on all manner of topics in his time, including such peculiar subjects as who he’d most like to be haunted by (Ghandi - Paul reckons he’d do it quite quietly) and which is the largest animal he thinks he could beat in a fight (a goose). He’s also ‘died’ on stage in front of a Babylon 5 actress, who made matters worse for him by shaking her head in pity... Widely regarded as one of the comedy circuit’s most accomplished MCs, Paul visits the Midlands with his touring show, Joker.

Jen Brister

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 16 June

As she attempted to establish herself on the circuit back in the early noughties, Jen Brister received a much-needed boost from a comedy legend.

The occasion was the BBC New Act semifinals in Brighton. The legend in question: Spike Milligan, who was one of the judges. Although Jen didn’t get through to the final, she did find out from the show’s producer that Spike had voted for her.

“He’d also remarked that I had ‘a great pair of Bristols’,” she recalls. “So clearly he had great taste in comedy and, er, tits!”

Jen visits Shrewsbury with her latest touring show, The Optimist.

“My favourite thing is being relentless,” Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson revealed to broadwaybaby in preparing to tour his brand-new standup offering, Rhys! Rhys! Rhys!. “That’s what you can expect from this show - just me relentlessly talking too quickly.”

Rhys is promising a gig that will aim to steer

Tez Ilyas

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Fri 16 June

Tez Ilyas’ standup has been likened to candyfloss with a razorblade hidden inside, while his television work has brought him to the attention of a whole new audience. The fact that he’s been able to hit the right notes with so many people doesn’t come as a surprise to the man himself, though: “It doesn’t matter what walk of life we’re from, I think we’re all united by the British sense of humour. Whatever creed, colour, sexual orientation or gender type we are, we have a connection based around a mutual appreciation of that sort of comedy.” clear of every comedian’s favourite subject over the last couple of years: the Covid pandemic. “It’s me banging on about myself for about an hour. It’s just about me. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been with a show, I thinkwhich sounds a bit arrogant, but I really worked hard on jokes per minute, and wanting it to be pretty relentless.”

Kane Brown & Richard Blackwood

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sat 24 June

Two comedy heavyweights for the price of one...

Former direct-sales executive Kane Brown kickstarted his current career back in 2006 when he enrolled in a two-week course in standup-comedy, since which time he’s honed his rib-tickling talents to excellent effect. Richard Blackwood, meanwhile, cites Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock as his inspirations. He peddles a comedic style that’s been described as ‘an amalgam of these three, with an added healthy dose of Afro Caribbean and South London humour’.

Festivals coming to the region in June...

Download Festival

Donington Park, Derby, Thurs 8 - Sun 11 June

With top billing consistently taken by some of the biggest names in rock and metal, it’s not hard to see why Download is one of the most popular and well-attended festivals in the UK.

Conceived as a follow-up to the Monsters Of Rock Festival, Download partly owes its name to the pioneering way in which it uses technology to connect with audiences and build a community.

2023 line-up includes: Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot (pictured), Alter Bridge, Architects, Parkway Drive, Evanescence, Pendulum, Disturbed, Placebo, Alexisonfire, Ghost, Bad Religion, Electric Callboy, Simple Plan and Coheed & Cambria.

Heal

West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, Fri 30 June - Sun 2 July

Music & wellbeing festival Heal returns for a second year.

As well as a diverse main-stage musical lineup, the event also features a bass tent, a health & wellbeing village, a funfair, arts & crafts, street food and optional camping.

Lichfield Blues & Jazz

Various venues across Lichfield, Sun 4 - Sun 11 June

Now in its 32nd year, Lichfield Blues & Jazz Festival has become a firm favourite on the city’s cultural calendar.

The week-long get-together celebrates the best in local jazz & blues talent, as well as showcasing quality musicianship from further afield.

New for 2023 is the inclusion of Latin and salsa music, while the Lindy Hop dance community will be hosting sure-to-bepopular dance workshops.

2023 line-up includes: Catfish, Remi Harris Trio, Fred T Baker, Funky Velvet, Nick Dewhurst Band, Chris Bowden Quartet, Del Camino (pictured) and Lichfield Jazz Big Band

Godiva Festival

War Memorial Park, Coventry, Fri 30 June - Sun 2 July

Organisers of Coventry’s Godiva Festival are anticipating another blockbuster year, with veteran performers joining emerging artists across a dazzling array of genres. While the traditional Godiva procession continues to this day, the event has certainly come a long way since its 17th-century origins as a celebration of the medieval Countess of Mercia.

The award-winning original family ravers, Big Fish Little Fish, will be on hand to keep youngsters entertained. The festival will also play host to the Shropshire Music Awards grand final on the Friday evening.

2023 line-up includes: The Enemy, Cast, The Slow Readers Club (pictured), Dub Pistols, Altern8, Mistress Mo, K-Klass, Bryan Gee, Aries and Kelvin Grant of Musical Youth

Due to its continued popularity, the festival is ticketed. Under-fives go free, and concessions are available for students, over-65s, and people who have benefits and asylum-seeker status.

2023 line-up includes: The Enemy, Rudimental, Melanie C, Ella Eyre (pictured), The Selecter, The K’s, Celina Sharma, Cruel Hearts Club and Oneman

AlderFest

Alderford Lake, Whitchurch, Fri 30 June & Sat 1 July

AlderFest returns for a second year after a successful debut event in 2022.

Hosted by AJ and Curtis Pritchard, the event features a live-music line-up and plenty for the family to enjoy, including a roller disco, motorcycle stunt show, Zeus the dinosaur, circus workshops and a football academy. An ‘extraordinary’ 120-person aquapark will be open throughout the day, with other attractions including raft building, wild swimming and paddleboards.

2023 line-up includes: McFly, Sam Ryder, Heather Small, Aston Merrygold, Artful Dodger, The Royston Club, Sonique, NTrance, Dave Pearce, Baby D and Ultrabeat