Stage: Boxing is not about destruction: it’s about respect

Marking the centenary of the 1916 “Conscription” laws, Take the Space bring their brand new play White Feather Boxer to TOM this June. What does it take to be better than the best?
It’s April 1967: in a shabby Bethnal Green boxing gym, an elderly trainer, Jimmy, hears the news: heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Muhammad Ali, has defied the US Military by refusing to fight in Vietnam.
Jimmy reflects on the choice he himself made during WW1, when Conscription sent pacifists to prison or the firing squad: when he, at the peak of his boxing career and physical prowess, stood up for what he believed despite the terrifying consequences.
Now Jimmy faces a new dilemma: Jo desperately needs his help. Jimmy’s 70-something and a Quaker. Jo’s just turned 16; she’s strong, talented, impulsive and angry. Does he have the strength or patience to tame this wild young woman? Can he teach her discipline and respect?
Following previous success with Sam & I, Hanging Hooke, Dolce Via and Stella, Take the Space now present a new play about pugilism and pacifism for the centenary of the passing of the notorious “Conscription” Laws of 1916. Chris Barnes plays Jimmy alongside Polly Jordan in the role of Jo.
Writer and director Siobhán Nicholas explains: “I wanted to explore – and honour – the psyche of the boxer and also capture the culture of the ring; I had a hunch that focusing on a retired boxer who has a very personal association with conscientious objection could allow me to come close to defining the qualities of bravery and duty.”
This extraordinary story is about imparting wisdom, finding courage, understanding bravery – and learning what’s worth
fighting for.
Take the Space was founded eleven years ago. Their four previous productions: Sam & I, Hanging Hooke, Dolce Via and STELLA have toured across the UK and Ireland to The Minerva at Chichester Festival Theatre, The Mill at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Ustinov at Bath Theatre Royal, Derry Playhouse, The Royal Society, Theatr Clwyd, Harrogate Theatre, Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, The Rose Kingston, TOM – the Old Market in Hove, Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park Theatre, Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough, Oxford Playhouse BT Studio, Greenwich Theatre, The Dublin Festival of Curiosity, The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury and The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh.
The Old Market, 17 June, 01273 201 801
Tickets: £12.50 (£10 conc.)
TOM’s Friends 15% off
Age: 12+ recommended, theoldmarket.com