Joe Bonaparte dreams of being famous, but he’s not quite sure how he’ll get there. An award-winning violinist, it seems like music will be his path to glory. But when he discovers that boxing might hold a future for him, everything changes. Clifford Odets’ Golden Boy, directed for the stage at the Almeida Theatre by Sam Yates, is currently on the big screen at Cineplex Theatres through National Theatre Live. This heartbreaking story of ambition, love, and the price of success is a theatrical experience unlike any other.

Golden Boy encapsulates the vivacity and hardships of the 30’s in New York; with another war looming and times being tough, you have to do whatever you can to make money. Joe’s father would love for his son to become a musician; he’s won awards all through school for his violin playing, and now that Joe is on the cusp of his 21^st birthday, his father has bought him a top-of-the-line violin to advance his career. But when Joe wins a fight against one of New York’s best fighters, he suddenly finds himself entangled in a web of managers, their girlfriends, gangsters, and fame. Joe’s life will never be the same, for better or for worse.

It’s easy to see why Odets’ script has been performed time and again over the years, as well as taking on many different forms along the way. Joe’s story is one which we still witness every day: the person who desires fame and fortune above all, and then once they get it, they only want more. There’s part of me that wonders if that’s why Golden Boy feels so familiar despite having never seen the play before: from Chekhov’s sports car to the love triangle to Joe’s inner turmoil, there’s a feeling of inevitability to this play. It’s like I was bracing myself throughout the film as I had this sense of dread about how it was going to end. That being said, this production brings modern elements like the use of live video capture to a 90 year old play, making it feel fresh while keeping the depression era roots through Rosanna Vize’s costuming and design elements.

However, I think my favourite element of Yates’ adaptation is the spectral presence of Joe’s past and alternate future throughout the play. A young Joe is seen playing the violin at the top of the piece, and he appears particularly at moments when Joe is having to decide between his former passion and his new one. Meanwhile, there is a string quartet, comprised of Roman Lytwyniw, Anna Cooper, Georgia Russell, and Niki Moosavi, behind a screen just above the main playing space, with the lead violinist also dressed up like Joe. They’re an ever-present reminder of where Joe could be had he not chosen boxing. At times, the cacophony they create in Joe’s mind is practically deafening, again highlighting his inner struggles. This is a fitting addition to Golden Boy as it allows the audience to delve even deeper into Joe’s psyche and viscerally feel the weight of his decisions.

Josh O’Connor is brilliant as Joe Bonaparte; his charm and gentleness gives way to an intense ferocity as the play progresses. Yet you can’t help but feel for this young man who is truly trying to figure out his own path in the world. Hayley Squires plays Lorna Moon, who is initially the girlfriend of Joe’s manager, but soon the two fall deeply in love. Squires brings a fieriness of her own to Lorna, while also reaching down into the depths of her emotions that will make you weep along with her. Daniel Mays and David Ganly are bombastic and larger-than-life as Joe’s managers Moody and Roxy; their consistent butting of heads makes for moments of pure comedy within an otherwise turbulent story. Stanley Townsend’s Mr. Bonaparte is endearing in every sense of the word; Townsend gives the role a sense of earnestness which can only come from a loving parent. Jason Barnett brings a deep wisdom and grounding to Tokio, Joe’s trainer. Zubin Varla’s Eddie Fuseli is terrifying, and everything you’d want a 1930’s gangster to be: trigger happy, intimidating, and powerful. Richard Fleeshman, Nicholas Woodeson, Oliver Ryan, Patrick Martins, and Anton Vehring complete this stellar cast.

“Tomorrow’s my birthday! I change my life!”

Joe’s determination is both the reason for his success and, ultimately, his downfall. In his desire to live a full life, he allows himself to be swept away into a life of excess. Golden Boy serves as a cautionary tale of sorts: that money doesn’t buy happiness, and once you have more you’ll never stop wanting more. Yates’ production closes with the same vignette as it opens: Joe, sitting alone at a table, with a single candle illuminating his face. Only, that final scene is one of lost opportunity and regret, rather than the joyful look back at his childhood which begins the play. Just as Golden Boy shows the cyclical nature of humanity’s longing for success, it’s also a poignant reminder of the perils of that quest.

Golden Boy is currently in Cineplex Cinemas! For more information and showtimes near you, visit: https://www.cineplex.com/movie/golden-boy-national-theatre-live

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Quote from Golden Boy found here: https://www.scribd.com/document/940490454/Golden-Boy-Clifford-Odets

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Cover Photo: Patrick Martins and Josh O’Connor. Photo by Marc Brenner.

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